Fratello dello Spazio

Spain / Italy • 1988 • 90m •

• Directed by: Mario Gariazzo. • Starring: Martin Balsam, Agostina Belli, Silvia Tortosa, William Berger, Geoffrey Reyli, John Donovan, Eduardo Fajardo, Manuel Gallardo, Rafaela Aparicio, Luis Barboo, José Antonio Ceinos, Fernando Chinarro, Mario Colajanni. • Music by: Franco Campanino.

A huge spaceship makes its way to our world and sends out a smaller ship with three aliens in it to have a look around. Something goes wrong and the three explorers eject to Earth in small pods as their vessel explodes. Only one being seems to survive and, as is usually the case, the local authorities just want to shoot at it and call the military. The alien goes into hiding thanks to the help of a blind music teacher who has psychic powers, and a sympathetic priest with good intentions. It turns out that the visitor just wants to make nice, be friends with everybody, and would simply prefer to go home rather than hurt anyone. His friends are looking for him, but time is running out!

Review:

Image from: Fratello dello Spazio (1988)

One of those movies where you feel that you have been given a message about something, but you're not quite sure what. But it took a long time to pass the message on...

The theme is familiar - the good-natured stranger dumps into a rough neighborhood, but by doing good and by not meddling in people's affairs he is able to gain a loyal circle of friends - which will eventually save his life. The guy can't speak - but people keep telling him their innermost secrets. Nice point here - people want to be heard rather than spoken to.

The main character (a black brother) dumps out of the sky to Harlem, New York. He is chased by two reptilian men (whites, of course). We are given to understand that the brother is a run-away slave - but since he can't talk, there's no way of saying. Apparently, he cannot write English...

The film comments on immigration, the social welfare system, and the black community in Harlem. It is quite out of date now, but interesting as a bit of cultural history.

It is also quite boring - funny sometimes, but I was mostly annoyed with the lack of a plot. I never knew what the brother was up to. And that feeling goes on up to and including the ending!

Review by DeNelo from the Internet Movie Database.