Summary
In the near future, Roy McBride is tapped by Space Command Brass to engage in a search for his father, a hero astronaut who disappeared years ago, in order to save the earth from a devastating phenomenon which is on the verge of destroying all human life.
The Film
Like in his previous film “The Lost City of Z,” James Gray explores the idea of obsession and the search for meaning or truth in a deliberately paced and symbolic journey into the soul. If you watch this movie because you like Brad Pitt or because you wanted a sci-fi adventure then I am afraid you will be disappointed by how slow the film is, and how unconcerned it is by walking the audience through all of the repercussions of some of the world building.
This movie is interested in doing something that few people will call entertaining. For some though, the slow journey into the psyche of Roy McBride, who seems wholly unflappable and dedicated to his mission yet finds that his personal attachments are stronger than he suspected, will be a journey into their own minds and hearts.
For me, this film made even more impact by the heavy use of religious references and imagery as well as the inclusion of characters who have their own obsessions with seeking extraterrestrial life. The movie certainly has a point of view on religion that I do not share but I didn’t feel like it was unfair at all in its portrayal nor was it overtly harsh.
The focus of the film is on the personal journey of one man as he journeys closer and closer to his father, a mysterious figure lauded as a hero by most but to a few, a potential madman who has come unhinged.
I would love to wax eloquent on this film and the ideas that it posits but I found the film to be a more personal experience that defies my ability to relate. It had me asking questions about my own father and my own search for meaning. To relate these thoughts would be more the fodder of an essay or memoir than a film review.
All I can say is generalities that I hope will attract the right kind of person to this film. If you find yourself thinking, that sounds boring, or sounds confusing, then this probably isn’t the film for you. If, however, you are the sort that wants to see a sci-fi film with more in common with “Interstellar” and “2001” than “Star Wars” or “Starship Troopers” then this film may be up your alley.
The cinematography and effects are breathtaking and seamless. There is an action sequence on the moon which is one of the most inventive and unique I have seen in a sci-fi film in years. The imagery that is employed in the film also lends to the sense of journeying inward even as the character moves outward, further and further from the earth.
For all the praise I’m heaping on this movie, it isn’t a perfect film. The movie tries really hard to be scientifically accurate but it definitely stretches into the realm of suspending disbelief in more than a couple scenes and unfortunately the climax of the film is a little bit of a letdown, not bringing to a satisfying conclusion this journey on which we have been.
There is still more than enough here for me to buy the film from a bargain bin at some point and given the right ask, I would even see it in theaters again, but then again, I am exactly the kind of person this movie is for and I’m pretty sure at this point in the review, you’ll know if it was made for you too.
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