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Ad Astra
Despite a couple of dangling plot points, 2019's Ad Astra is a compelling sci-fi nail biter that, like Gravity, contains an emotional and human center that keeps the film from being just an exercise in CGI pyrotechnics.
Oscar winner Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, a legacy astronaut whose father was believed to have perished during a mission on the planet Neptune. Upon returning from his latest mission, Roy is informed that, not only might his father might still be alive, but that he has been keeping the fact that he is still alive a secret in order to complete his original mission. Roy is asked to travel to the moon and then to Mars in order to convey a message to his father on Neptune because the mission he is working on is a possible threat to the entire universe.
Director and co-screenwriter James Gray does a wonderful job of combining a contemporary science fiction adventure with a story of family dysfunction that rings completely true. I loved the basic premise that is set up here...a man who has worshiped his dad from childhood who has finally comes to terms with his death being faced with the possibility that dad might still be alive, It's through Gray's direction and Pitt's performance that we see Roy has come to terms with his father's passing because the conflicted emotions that this news has brought Roy come through loud and clear.
There were a couple plot points that confused me...there is a scene where Roy and one of his crews are attacked by an animal that resembles an orangutan and I couldn't figure out how this animal got into the module. I also didn't understand how Dad's mission threatened the entire universe, but I was able to let it go and concentrate on the big picture.
Gray offers some nice attention to details as well. We are told that the film is set "In the near future" and we're not sure what that means initially. It becomes clear at our first glimpse of the moon, we are shocked to see that it is partially civilized now, like a earthly city. I was also impressed with the way Roy had to go through a psychological evaluation after each leg of his mission.
Brad Pitt turns in the performance of his career, that clearly rivals his Oscar winning work in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood and Tommy Lee Jones is absolutely lovely as his father. Production values are first rate, especially cinematography, art direction/set direction, and sound. A solid space adventure that, like The Martian, is centered around a character that we love and want what he wants.
Despite a couple of dangling plot points, 2019's Ad Astra is a compelling sci-fi nail biter that, like Gravity, contains an emotional and human center that keeps the film from being just an exercise in CGI pyrotechnics.
Oscar winner Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, a legacy astronaut whose father was believed to have perished during a mission on the planet Neptune. Upon returning from his latest mission, Roy is informed that, not only might his father might still be alive, but that he has been keeping the fact that he is still alive a secret in order to complete his original mission. Roy is asked to travel to the moon and then to Mars in order to convey a message to his father on Neptune because the mission he is working on is a possible threat to the entire universe.
Director and co-screenwriter James Gray does a wonderful job of combining a contemporary science fiction adventure with a story of family dysfunction that rings completely true. I loved the basic premise that is set up here...a man who has worshiped his dad from childhood who has finally comes to terms with his death being faced with the possibility that dad might still be alive, It's through Gray's direction and Pitt's performance that we see Roy has come to terms with his father's passing because the conflicted emotions that this news has brought Roy come through loud and clear.
There were a couple plot points that confused me...there is a scene where Roy and one of his crews are attacked by an animal that resembles an orangutan and I couldn't figure out how this animal got into the module. I also didn't understand how Dad's mission threatened the entire universe, but I was able to let it go and concentrate on the big picture.
Gray offers some nice attention to details as well. We are told that the film is set "In the near future" and we're not sure what that means initially. It becomes clear at our first glimpse of the moon, we are shocked to see that it is partially civilized now, like a earthly city. I was also impressed with the way Roy had to go through a psychological evaluation after each leg of his mission.
Brad Pitt turns in the performance of his career, that clearly rivals his Oscar winning work in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood and Tommy Lee Jones is absolutely lovely as his father. Production values are first rate, especially cinematography, art direction/set direction, and sound. A solid space adventure that, like The Martian, is centered around a character that we love and want what he wants.