Above and Below tells the stories for five people living in physical isolation: on a NASA programme in the desert simulating a mission to Mars; in an abandoned army bunker, also in the desert; and in the storm drains of Las Vegas.
It is beautifully cinematic with some absolutely incredible and striking images and a fantastic use of cinematography and music. The desert at Mars camp really does feel like nothing on earth and the rest of the scenery, from a polluted lake to the storm drains are given an incredible beauty and poignancy.
But it is not just physical isolation that is depicted, but social isolation as well. The subjects of the documentary have families but are close to being estranged; for some contact is just looking at photos on Facebook and no more connection than that. The film was at its best when exploring this disintegration of social ties, uncovering how this led to these people to live in physically extreme situations. This is when the subjects' characters most shone through and was the most emotionally involving part.
Above and Below made for an interesting contrast in documentary style with All of Me. The slight let down of Above and Below was that I wasn't quite hooked into these people's lives and perhaps the film needed something more, such as a bit more of a narrative impetus or something that made it feel a bit more universal or connected to humanity. It was stunning to look at but the aesthetics were almost a barrier to me connecting with the subjects and it did not quite stir my emotions as much as I would have expected. So although much of the imagery will stay with me, I don't think I will remember it for as long as I will All of Me.
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