What are the three story strands in Andrew Stanton's film In the Blink of an Eye?

The film features a Neanderthal family in 45,000 B.C., a present-day Princeton researcher named Claire, and a sole astronaut on a long-duration space mission.

How does Andrew Stanton connect the different timelines in In the Blink of an Eye?

Stanton uses intercutting to create cinematic power, showing echoes and connections between the challenges and experiences across the Neanderthal, present-day, and future space mission narratives.

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Beyond Animation: Stanton's Live-Action Leap

Q: What criticism has Andrew Stanton's film In the Blink of an Eye received?

Critics have noted that the film's ambitious concept overshadows character development, leading to a lack of emotional engagement and a perceived deficit in human connection despite its themes.

30 Jan

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Summary

Film explores Neanderthals, present-day researchers, and future space mission.
Stanton blends multiple timelines to show echoes between distinct human eras.
Critics note a lack of character depth despite the ambitious concept.

Beyond Animation: Stanton's Live-Action Leap

Andrew Stanton, acclaimed for Pixar's "Finding Nemo" and "WALL-E," now directs "In the Blink of an Eye," a live-action film exploring profound themes. The movie presents three distinct yet connected story arcs. One strand follows a Neanderthal family in 45,000 B.C., communicating through rudimentary language, evoking a silent film simplicity.

The second narrative centers on Claire, a Princeton researcher in the present day, who studies Neanderthal fossils while balancing a potential new relationship and her mother's terminal illness. The third story features Coakley, the sole human aboard a spaceship carrying embryos on a centuries-long journey to colonize a distant planet.

Stanton uses intercutting to create a cumulative cinematic power, suggesting echoes between the lives and challenges across these eras. However, critics observe that the film's ambitious conceptual vision overshadows character development, leading to a lack of emotional engagement with the individuals' personal dramas or grief.