User reviews

I'll start right off saying I'm not equipped to properly review this film but since my modus operandi is not to review films as much as react to them, I'll indulge myself. I'm not much of a science fiction fan but I love Hiromi Nagasaku so I checked this one out. The Clone Returns Home (aka The Clone Returns to the Homeland) is a heady, metaphorical, poetic, extremely slow and beautiful film. There aren't a bunch of fancy gadgets or spaceships, nor aliens running around. The only reason to call this "sci-fi" is the photographic tweak to things that makes it feel like it's in the future (it is), and the fact that the main protagonist is an astronaut and his spacesuit plays a big role in the film. And, well ... there's the science.

The Clone Returns Home explores the notion of identity by way of cloning and spends a good deal of expositional time discussing it and the ethical milieu it exists in. It also spends a good deal of non-expositional time observing some guy carry around a spacesuit.

Kohei is an astronaut who dies while on a mission in outer space. His company can legally clone him, complete with all his memories and feelings, as a sort of insurance reimbursement. His wife (Nagasaku) is a little freaked out by this notion, and thus begins the exploration of identity. Things get complicated when Kohei's memory bank seems to get filled back up only to a point in his childhood when his identical twin brother died while trying to rescue him from drowning at a fishing hole. At first I thought it was kind of cheap to use identical twins who, we learn through flashbacks, as children often tried to pass themselves off for one another, as the starting point in an exploration of identity. Even more so when this developmentally stunted clone goes missing and the company decides to clone him again, essentially making an identical twin clone. But then I realized the director wasn't trying to make a solid argument or theory about identity (or cloning) as much as trying to cook up a complex stew of ideas and invite the viewers in to sample all the spices. Just as it takes a connoisseur to fully appreciate the complexities of a fine wine, it will take a hardcore sci-fi fan to get her head around all that's being explored in this film. It's not for casual viewers. I couldn't begin to tell you who is in the spacesuit (which appears to be empty half the time), or who is carrying around whom. The film's glacially slow pace, meant to give the viewer time to savor the ingredients, of the film as a whole and the spacesuit in particular, will not play well at the mall.

If I were a sci-fi junkie, especially one who enjoyed the heady and intellectual stuff, I might give The Clone Returns Home ten stars. But I'm not, so I give it six ... which means your mileage may vary.

A quirky little movie sitting at the crossroads between sci-fi, family trauma, identity and generally psychological drama, with a touch of the surreal or spiritual, depending on your take. It came highly recommended, but to me that's all it manages to achieve, quirky little movie status. It's a slow burn descent into family trauma and guilt (I was questioning the pretty long inroad into Kohei's childhood all of a sudden, till it all started to make sense).

Yeah, clones are creepy. I have seen some of those movies. Not this one though. There's a lot of love here, and loss and despair and reliving trauma and the cloning is just the gimmick by which the character(s) are given the opportunity to explore all these. You could also argue it's a curse, sure. I don't think the writer/director needed to use cloning, but it would have been a different movie.

Very little sci-fi, in case you're looking for that.

Upon winning the FilmMakers' Prize at Sundance '06 for the original draft of the screenplay, Kanji Nakajima continued to rewrite and hone his vision into a true masterpiece. This film absolutely blew me away. I loved nearly every frame of it. A thoughtful film about love, family, longing, and spirituality; Kanji truly weaves a compelling story around memory and consciousness. It absolutely bears resemblance to some of the classic works--Tarkovsky is often mentioned--but never to fault. The Clone Returns Home, to me, is the first great original science-fiction masterpiece of the last 20 years. It sits in great company with Solaris, Stalker, and 2001. The film moves at a slow, contemplative pace that will be difficult for some, but for a fan of the classics it simply doesn't get any better. Finally, I can't discuss the film without calling attention to Hideho Urata's gorgeous work behind the camera--absolutely stunning. I can't wait to see what these two do next.

If you blind, then everything is in screen play.

Its eternal question about soul.

Comments are superfluous.

Clear ten.

In the universe, we are in fact at a great level of development, accepting that the soul is what cannot be copied md.

Slow-moving, pensive movies sci-fi movies exploring themes like identity and alienation seem to be the rage currently. While "Never Let Me Go" left me cold, and "Mr. Nobody" and "Womb" made me wince, this is the gem of the bunch. A beautiful, restrained film that never buckles under the weight of its own gravitas. Be forewarned - the influence of Solaris is anything but discreet. Some of the scenes seem to be set up as a deliberate homage to Tarkovsky. It didn't bother me though, and I would liken it to Duncan Jones' gentle winks to the sci-fi classics in "Moon". In fact there are striking parallels between these two movies thematically, and they would fit snugly together on a double bill. Hopefully "The Clone... " will garner enough attention that Kanji Nakajima is able to continue to explore science fiction in this respectful, understanding manner. A quite wonderful little pendant to Solaris, that deserves to be seen.