"immigration? gimme a break. we had a kid overdose downstairs last night and you're pestering people about some piece of paper that says theyr legal? you wanna know my opinion? my opinion is you people just made up the immigration scam just to keep people under your thumb"

From the title, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a goofy, broad comedy - the kind that John Landis and Eddie Murphy may have collaborated on. But you would be completely wrong.

The Brother From Another Planet is actually a highly thoughtful, humane, and yes, funny, portrait of what it's like to be an outsider in America.

This was the first movie to be directed by John Sayles that I've seen, but from what I understand it's the only one to use any of the stuff he learned in his background writing exploitation movies for Roger Corman. It's too bad, because this movie's fantastic conceit brought down to Earth and shot through with real human characters is pretty damn irresistible.

Director Project

Director: John Sayles (Third film)

Oddball comedy with a serious underlining, the central performance and role of Joe Morton as the alien who lands on earth is quietly (literally) brilliant, and pivotal to everything that makes this film good. The best moments lie with those he meets oddly enough, and how he interacts with them, progressively becoming more competent with expressing himself.

Often they're bizarre, but mostly they're funny, especially during a really weird, but genuinely awesome fight scene involving Sayles himself as one of two men-in-black hunting The Brother. Not much else I have in my mind to say, but I did really enjoy it. It takes no sides, and doesn't preach and prance around, and I liked it because at any time, it can be taken seriously, or not so much - maybe never diving into either pool particularly deep, but still managing an entertaining and thoughtful film.

A fantastic film.

Immediately was captivated by the gorgeous shots, and fell in love with the pace of the movie. The dialogue is quick and witty, and the solidarity created between the alien and his cohorts warms the heart. Joe Morton does a compelling job, even without any words. 
The low budget effects are endearing and effective. 
Highly suggest this film for anyone who wants to enjoy an 80s movie about solidarity against the system.

Take the A Train

I've been in a real "fuck the police" type mood (as we all should be right now and always), stuck at home reading the news, feeling angry, frustrated, restless, and useless. Putting this on helped calm me down just enough while still maintaining a healthy amount of fight the power energy to get through to tomorrow.

unfulfilled potential, unanswered questions, could’ve gone a lot of places with a story like this, but still a kind of enjoyable watch… very good score/soundtrack.

At the Tivoli

An alien crash-lands in early 1980s Manhattan and fits right in. Kept it's sense of humor while the subtext of racial commentary was authentic. Quirky, low-budget brilliance by Sayles.

A meandering, offbeat, and disorienting fish-out-of-water Sci fi film that's more about New York in 1980s (specifically Harlem) than anything up in the stars. The actual Sci fi aspect is stripped down (clearly due to budgetary constraints) but the few flourishes (the "brother" having three toes etc.) inject the film with welcome doses of eccentricity. As with other Sayles films, the sense of community and place is well defined. It's rough and awkward in places but it's also idiosyncratic, poignant and never goes where you expect it to go. Might be my favorite Sayles film up to this point.

@ Een buitenaards wezen wordt achtervolgd door premiejagers uit de ruimte, en komt in New York terecht.