I Origins

Is there life after death? The question sounds like grounds for a fantasy, but I Origins is an unusual, science-based metaphysical thriller that manages to be both provocative and romantic. Cast rather wonderfully against type, Boardwalk Empire's cherub-faced Michael Pitt stars as Ian Gray, a New York biologist seeking to prove Darwin's theory of evolution by tracing the development of the eye back to its earliest and most basic organisms, thereby disproving religious creationism. In flashback, the rational, level-headed Gray pursues a love affair with the impulsive, spiritual Sofi (Astrid Bergés-Frisbey), a French girl he meets at a party. Although it takes a while, the two plot strands gradually converge. Though a little stretched, the film's mysteries are thoughtful and even profound, with a series of twists that aren't so much played for surprise as to push the limits of rationality.