I Am Evangeline (2015) User Reviews

A great indie science fiction feature from Australia

[andrewmacrae-92785 · 8/10 · 16 July 2015]

This is an independent Australian film that demonstrates the possibilities of presenting a compelling science fiction feature without special effects and a big budget. It's the story of the titular Evangeline (Georgie Flood), a clone who has fled her violent master and is searching for the cure to a kind of narcolepsy that affects clones and shortens their lives. In the process, she learns that her 'original' is still alive — and that she holds the clue to making Evangeline well. Evangeline must confront her original to unlock the secret to being a whole person. During the narrative she forms a tenuous relationship with Ten (Benjamin Hoetjes), a gambling-addicted electronics repairman who betrays but then falls in love with her. She also has to face her jealous master, B (Mike Bishop), who is trying to get her back. Georgia Flood puts in a strong performance as the confused and frightened Evangeline, fleeing her abusive past and taking action to discover her place in the world. Flood also plays Diana, Evangeline's sadistic original, and she manages to differentiate the two characters convincingly. Benjamin Hoetjes also performs well in the role of Ten, allowing his character to open as his relationship with Evangeline evolves. Like the best science fiction films, I am Evangeline presents familiar dilemmas in a strange context, giving the viewer a new perspective on the question of what it means to be human. Through this anamorphic process of extrapolating from the known to the unknown, we gain surprising insights into the human condition. Although it is shot in and around the shadowy urban spaces of contemporary Melbourne, the film successfully creates a sense of science fiction estrangement using a retro-futuristic aesthetic. The effect is to present a kind of alternative future history, where familiar objects from the past and contemporary settings are recontextualised in strange juxtapositions. This blending of the strange and the familiar amplifies and supports the film's uncanny narrative. The understated soundtrack adds to the atmosphere and this retro-futuristic aesthetic. I am Evangeline is also a noteworthy contribution to the tradition of Pygmalion stories in science fiction cinema, from Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) to Spike Jonze's Her (2013), and there's a strong and satisfying feminist theme at play. The story itself is fresh and engaging, and the surprising climax and closure balances out the effects of flashback disorientation early in the film. It's an assured debut feature from writer/director Christine Rogers, with well-drawn characters taking action to solve their dilemmas in a strange alternative retro-futuristic present.