Few Upsides to “Upside Down”

Take the plot of “The Vow,” combine it with the special effects of “Inception,” mottle it with blatant political symbolism, and you’ll get the romance of the week: “Upside Down.” This film takes place in a distant corner of the galaxy where a pair of twin planets have opposite gravitational fields. People from each planet can only experience gravitational pull from their own planet, making a separation of the populations inevitable. The two worlds’ populations coexist in a Marxist-style relationship, the haves residing on the wealthy “Up” while the have-nots struggle for life on “Down.”

Unsanctioned contact between the two worlds is harshly punished. Despite this, two teenagers, creatively named Adam and Eden, from these forcefully separated planets embark on a forbidden love affair after they discover a place where the two worlds intersect high up in the mountains as children. After some expository romantic scenes, the authorities discover the two in the midst of an illegal tryst. The authorities drag Adam away, and he is left thinking that Eden is dead. The plot takes an expected turn when he discovers that she is alive but suffering from amnesia. The romantic pursuit begins, and all odds are magically overcome and all barriers permanently torn down through bees, science, and, of course, pregnancy. Every conflict is met with a puzzlingly nonsensical plot device that raises a whole host of logical concerns, but this does not seem to trouble any of the characters in the film.

Kirsten Dunst portrays Eden, the amnesiac heartthrob from Up, while Jim Sturgess plays Adam, the scientist from Down. A bevy of kindhearted co-workers from both planets adds occasional humor and magically solves most of the larger issues with shockingly simple solutions. The characters beg to be likable, but at times this is impossible. Sturgess’s coworker Bob (Timothy Spall) is meant to appear as a trustworthy character, but his initial smoke-filled rendezvous with Adam and intense requests for stamps make him seem a bit suspicious, and an untrustworthy air lingers around him until the end credits roll. Sturgess also tends to give off a slightly creepy vibe, with a crazed look often coming to his eyes when he speaks to Dunst. Pair that with his spastic mode of conversation and the fact that he continually looks like he needs a shower, and the love the two share seems even more implausible.

Sturgess isn’t the only one who is at times hard to love. As if having amnesia weren’t enough of a challenge to their forbidden love, Eden’s mood swings also serve as a major deterrent to the relationship. She flips between being giddy at Sturgess’s very presence to being offended by the touch of his hand. She laughs, she flirts, she cries on a couch in darkness, all at the drop of a hat, making her character increasingly tiresome as the movie carries on.

The mild and predictable set of characters is matched by a not-so-mild, although equally predictable, political atmosphere. An evil corporation called TransWorld causes a giant explosion, which orphans Adam and leaves a majority of Down in a post-apocalyptic state. This corporation exploits Down, taking its oil and selling it back to Down’s people at exorbitant rates. At times, the film feels like an extremely crude critique of the oil industry set against a futuristic backdrop. The border police also make several appearances, hunting with dogs and shooting freely at anyone daring to cross the border.

While the plot is disappointingly stale and the acting falters at times, the special effects in the film make it stand apart from other romance films premiering this season. The moments where the worlds interact on the same floor of TransWorld are truly impressive, as are the landscapes created when city lights rather than stars illuminate the world below. Characters are frequently seen interacting in opposite gravities, and the world created through the special effects team is consistent and utterly seamless. In every moment where the setting has the opportunity to disappoint, it instead impresses. If the storyline bores, the visuals excite, giving the film at least one very redeeming quality.

While the film feels like a hodgepodge of elements from other, more successful movies, it still manages to be entertaining. The characters, although not always enchanting, are certainly sympathetic. The special effects manage to hold the viewer’s attention, and although it’s predictable, the story can certainly still be enjoyed. Will this film change the lives of all who are exposed to it? Probably not. Could Nicholas Sparks write a more convincing love story? Probably. “Upside Down” will, however, at least make for a decidedly average Friday night rental.