Remarkably Bright Creatures

Synopsis:  An octopus at an aquarium and a worker there develop a bond. They’re both effected when a young man starts working there.

Umvelt.  If you are reading this, I’m assuming that you have a human Umvelt. A bat has a bat’s Umvelt. Let me explain…

Working in the early Twentieth Century, German biologist Jakob von Uexkull coined the word Umvelt to describe how an organism’s sensory system gives them a particular perception of their environment. He illustrated the concept with a discussion of a tick’s life. Yeah… not so captivating to the general public. But in 1974 American philosopher Thomas Nagel published the paper “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” Catchier, right?

Nagel argued that we can never really imagine, in any meaningful way, how a bat experiences life. Their bat-ness is inaccessible to humans. Certainly, I can imagine how cool it would be flying around at night as a bat. But suddenly having echolocation? My subjective consciousness would change to such a degree! Before long I’d probably enjoy hanging upside down and capturing moths with my little bat feet. I wonder… would the other bats sense my humanness?

Okay, so what does this have to do with the movie “Remarkably Bright Creatures”? Nothing. Kidding! The main subjects in the movie are an octopus named Marcellus and a woman named Tova who works at the aquarium where he lives. We will see if the movie simply anthropomorphizes the octopus or delves into nonhuman species consciousness. We also want to have a good movie experience. Naturally.

Marcellus is a Giant Pacific octopus. The story begins with the octo telling us that he has been held captive for 1401 days at the aquarium in Sowell Bay, Washington. He’s an elderly cephalopod who was rescued after being found injured, with an arm ripped off. You’ll be glad to hear that the CGI octo looks fine: pinkish-red and agile.

Tova (Sally field) is a bit of a woman-curmudgeon. Her husband Will has passed and her son Erik died decades ago when he was a teen. She belongs to a knitting group but doesn’t share much of her feelings. When her friends ask her to weigh in, she concentrates on her stitch-work, saying she doesn’t like gossip. Tova also works nights as a cleaning woman at the aquarium. She’s serious about doing quality work; sweeping behind statues, chipping discarded gum off the floors and polishing the glass of the many aquariums where the fish, eels and other small ocean creatures live. Tova likes talking to Marcellus, sometimes even gossiping to him about the locals. Local humans, that is. I’m afraid that the octo would be more interested in news of the tastiness or dangerousness of his neighbors.

In a voiceover (by Alfred Molina, Doc Oc in Spider-Man 2), the octopus admits that, as humans go, he minds “the cleaning lady the least.” Marcellus’ tank is spacious, but he does have to deal with kids on field trips crowding around his habitat and the loss of his seemingly endless ocean home. This Giant Pacific octopus is smart. He’s figured out how to slip out of his tank. Waiting until the aquarium is closed, he braves the open air, plopping his way along the floor, and slipping into tanks for a snack of little crustaceans. He also begins contemplating Tova’s existence after a crisis…

One night, on a feeding expedition, Marcellus startles Tova when she sees movement and finds Marcellus tangled in extension cords. She acts fast, getting him back into his aquarium before he dies from lack of oxygen. His opinion of her rises.

Tova seems less lonely when she talks to Marcellus. She even dares to place her hands in his tank; he loops an arm around her wrist, gathering ‘taste’ info with the suckers. Weird and cool, huh? Remarkably Bright Creatures is not a horror movie, so I wasn’t worried that she’d get pulled into the water.

The movie’s pace, like the book’s, is leisurely and lowkey.  Outside of work, Tova avoids new connections. But Ethan (Colm Meaney of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Gangs of London), the proprietor of the local grocery store, has a crush on her. Whenever she stops by to shop, he overextends himself with boisterous small talk and ingratiating, if genuine, smiles. Maybe he’s like this to everyone? He is.

The narrative picks up steam when Cameron (Lewis Pullman), a sullen down on his luck guy from California arrives in a junky old van. His first stop in Sowell Bay is the grocer’s. Ethan greets him like he hasn’t had a customer in weeks. He gives him a free lunch (great business plan) and when asked, directs him to the nearest mechanic’s. In short order he gives him a recommendation for a job and offers his driveway as a place to park his van once it’s fixed. The only price Cameron has to pay is listening to Ethan’s stories about following the Grateful Dead when he was a younger man.

On account of the fact that Tova slipped at work and sprained her ankle, her affable boss Terry (Donald Sales) has hired Cameron to fill-in as the night cleaner at the aquarium. But restless Tova shows up to train Cameron. When she introduces herself to him, he says that he already knows how to mop the floors and empty the garbage. Tova is aghast that he thinks that’s sufficient. She tells him that the glass has to be cleaned of all smudges, plenty of things need to be dusted and tidied, etcetera. You can imagine how thrilled the guy is to have a persnickety old lady second guessing his work.

Okay, so in the book, Cameron was more of a sh**, entitled and pretty immature for a guy who looks to be thirty years old. It’s not unusual for him to get aggravated at people, all because of messes he’s made or impractical schemes that go awry. He really needed a good guidance counselor in high school to introduce him to the idea of ‘taking responsibility for one’s own actions.’ Granted he’s had some rough times. His mother was an addict and he doesn’t know who his father is. Marcellus also never knew his father. Instead, his mother—not an addict, by the way—would have carefully tended to her thousands of eggs before dying shortly after the little octopuses hatch.

The movie’s Cameron is less sh**ty. He has his eye on the woman who owns the local paddle shop, Avery (Sofia Black-D’Elia). Like Ethan at his store, Avery is also compelled to give away her merch to Cameron, some CBD balm. He should stop by the local bank and see if they will hand over some money to him.

Cameron gets used to Sowell Bay and even begins to look forward to chatting with Tova while he’s working. Marcellus has become attuned to human behavior and observes that Tova and Cameron share the “same sadness” in their eyes. It is impressive that he can read human facial expressions. It would be easier for him if humans showed their emotions with color changes like octopuses. Chromatophores account for the colors with dark colors indicating anger and lighter colors signifying calm.

In Remarkably Bright Creatures, there are two mysteries that need to be solved before the two humans can progress personally …

• Who is Cameron’s father?
• How did Tova’s son drown—by accident or by suicide?

While Cameron goes paddleboarding with Avery and Tova has a glass of wine with Ethan, I thought of Marcellus. What would happen to him—will he die a captive? Terry, the aquarium director, has told Tova that there are signs of the octopus’ decline. After all, his species only has a lifespan of 3 – 5 years.

Marcellus wants to get home to the sea. He’s trying to figure out how to escape. When, I wondered, will one of these stupid people understand this and slip him back into the ocean? The sea is his Umgebung (environment). Afterall, there’s a limit to his Innewelt (mapping of self to the environment), stuck in a boxy tank.

Octopuses, the most intelligent of cephalopods, are fascinating animals. Imagine jetting though the water, changing your body texture and playing the drums when you and some other sea creatures play “Under the Sea.” You would have blue blood, eight arms and three hearts! What a life!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a sentimental movie, sometimes free with hokum. But Sally Field gives a beautiful performance, imbuing Tova with some sadness and a lot of perseverance. She really gives it her all, including heaving sobbing that I was afraid might give her a migraine. Lewis Pullman is a good acting match for her: subtle with his character and holding his own in their scenes together. Just like Tova, I was pulling for him when he sang a Radiohead song at a local pub’s open mic.

Finally, Marcellus is a scene stealer. The expressive and odd creature captures our imagination and piques our curiosity about bonds with fellow creatures. I don’t know about friendship, but after reading about octopuses, it seems that their Umvelt includes curiosity of others. And in this movie, friendship.

P.S. Octopuses have blue blood because it contains a copper-based protein that is efficient in transporting oxygen in cold water (where octopuses are ‘designed’ to live). Humans’ red blood is from the iron in their haemoglobin  – I mean our blood, ha ha, I’m not a non-human… Octopuses’ have a heart to circulate blood around the body, with the two other hearts pumping it past the gills to pick up oxygen.

P.P.S.  If you’d like to learn more about Giant Pacific Octopuses click here.

Here is an article that discusses octopus sentience.

My Octopus Teacher – Movie Loon for a review of one of Movie Loon’s favorite films.

P.P.S.S.  I’d like the plural of octopus to be octopi, but that would be the Latin pluralization, and the word octopus has a Greek root.

Movie Loon’s Movie Review Shortcut:

Grade:  B-

Cut to the Chase: Sentimental, anchored by a fine performance from Sally Field. Great niche find for wildlife lovers.

Humor Highlight:  Tova rightly chastises Cameron for not cleaning up the inside of his van– an extended Ewww says it all.