Argentinian filmmaker Juan Diego Solanas devises an original sci-fi romantic fantasy with his latest movie, Upside Down, starring Kirsten Dunst and Jim Sturgess in the lead roles. The film toys with the concept of gravity, and involves two planets that are in close proximity with each other. The planet’s occupants are separated by class, with the upper class citizens at the top and the lower class at the bottom, experiencing their different gravitational laws.
Upside Down is particularly centered on two lovers who are kept apart by the dynamics of their planets and their societies. Their governments have banned any interaction between their two worlds. But the love between the two main characters, Adam and Eden, is strong. Thus, Adam finds a way to fight gravity in order to be with his love, despite the danger attached to his desires.
Upside Down’s storyline is based on a creative and intriguing premise, one that will be fascinating to watch if it is well developed and properly executed. However, the fact that the movie is based on a star-crossed love, in what seems to be a Romeo & Juliet fashion, slightly dampers the movie’s material, in my opinion.
In spite of that, Upside Down provides tantalizing visual graphics with its trailer. The juxtaposition of both worlds and their striking contrasts in colors create a wonderful picture and it makes the disparities between the societies stand out. The upper planet is bright and elegant, full of warmth with a very lavish lifestyle, while the lower planet is vibrantly dark, a cold depiction, tinged with a lot of dystopic imagery. Viewing both worlds together can incite a lot of intriguing themes, for instance, themes relating to government oppression.
Additionally, this won’t be the first movie in which Kirsten Dunst shares an upside-down kiss. We do remember her Spider-Man kiss with Tobey Maguire. And though Sturgess may not be singing like he did in Across The Universe, his performance may charm us when we see him on screen.
Upside Down has had an international release in some places, but it will open domestically on March 15th, 2013. Check out the trailer below.
What do you think of the movie? Is it something you’ll be interested in watching?