Ad Astra (2 Hrs, 4 Min)

Directed by James Gray

An incredibly stunning 4.5 out of 5!

Nearing this last quarter of 2019, I have been delighted, stimulated, and surprised by more films and TV shows than I almost know what to with. Last month alone— September— was a great month for all manner of content, as we tread into that time of year where that active summer magically morphs into comfy autumn we all long for. Thrillers, like IT: Chapter Two and Hustlers, turned pleased heads left and right, while others such as The Goldfinch or Rambo: Last Blood went rather quietly into the unfortunate night, and that’s not including TV either (e.g. The Good Place, Saturday Night Live). But as much as I would love continue listing out all of these selections in depth (you know me. All in good time), I will limit myself to one, more recent, gem that vigorously caught my eye in particular.

Ad Astra is a movie that has been pulling at my attention with great anticipation, for a few months now, with the first trailer showcasing engaging glimpses of what the audience might experience with this vast tale (beautiful shot after beautiful shot, as well as riveting action), and a great atmosphere that just looked like a fresh and satisfying example for a space adventure. So, being almost 2 weeks since its release date now, let’s jump right into it, shall we?

In the near future of much advancement and technology, we are introduced to Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), a well respected, second-generation, astronaut who works many miles in the sky above— space— as the world continues to move about underneath him, as it always has. But when a series of widespread freak blackouts leaves him back on earth, he is brought in by SpaceCom, his commanding peers, for what he thinks is the usual briefing of recent matters. But when he is instead fed the news that his father, Clifford McBride (a legendary figure in the world of space travel, played by Tommy Lee Jones), long thought to have vanished in deep space along with his crew, is believed to be alive, and located in Neptune’s orbit (over 2.8 billion miles away, and a trip of about 12 years to reach), he is recruited to voyage across the cosmos to recover his dad, and harvest the collected research of his [dad’s] endeavor, "The Lima Project”; a mission launched for the purpose of finding evidence of extra-terrestrial life. But when Roy’s new directive slowly reveals info that gives a completely new spin on things, he must navigate the many obstacles presented with living in space, as well choosing between loyalty to his job or what is morally right_____, as he confronts everything from lunar pirates, to the distant beauties and horrors of earth from a million miles away, and what the meaning of humanity remains to him ____with it. And above all, among the unknowns of deep space, reigns supreme the persistent thought of reuniting with a father, (still a pivotal, though absent, role in his life) who ultimately chose career over family.

It’s pretty amazing how many memories and emotions we are taken through in this film, and, aimed as a story relying greatly on character stimulation, we are open to less distractions as we develop a close knowledge of Roy Mcbrand. As we float right alongside him all the way, we are similarly put through a time of deep reflection and observation of nearly unimaginable magnitude; we are totally immersed in the life perspective of our character. Though we are in the open vastness of the heavens, it very much resembles one's state of living in solitary confinement. No noise. No company. No sense of stable comfort. Nothing amidst everything, if that makes sense (trapped in the hostile and ponderous abyss that is space). Sounds a bit strange when given some thought, but that is one of the many wonders we can experience in film. Pretty cool, right?

Pitt’s sturdy character is one that shows great skill and wit when it comes to dealing with, pretty much, any situation, but where we really start to dig deep is past the solidification and sheathing of a wound inflicted long ago; the day he realized his father was never coming back to [him and his family]. For 20 years the name of Clifford Mcbrand was thought dead to all, lost in the vacuum of space, but now, all of sudden, he emerges from the dark, and is found wriggling around near Neptune, billions of kilometers away? That acute concoction of shock, incompressible distance, and resurfaced rawness, is a pretty unfathomable concept to ponder in itself (SIDE NOTE: I try not to convey any air of objectivity within my writing and reviews. I know playing this role involves taking leaps as connections are made, and as meanings are “deciphered”, but just a quick moment to check up, right?). But, alongside determining these emotions felt by Roy for ourselves, we are also party to a superb series of Apocalypse Now-like narrations from our protagonist, which bring about a calm comprehension and guidance to the story, that I most enjoyed. Jones’ character is one that is best left in the dark for the reader, at least for now. I partially feel that the abstraction of Clifford McBride, as a hero in science, and as a beloved father, is the only knowledge that should be held, as we know only as much as our character does in this story (rather than always being one step ahead. Gives a sort of real time authenticity to the journey). And besides the nice performance given by Pitt with quiet mastery (not the film to watch if your looking for acting that’ll blow you away. Its decent), other actors showcasing their talent in this galactic adventure, all who brought across similarly subtle effect (in the best way), were Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga, and Liv Tyler, among an array of new faces and characters.

(Moving on) As well as being a superb character study (so to speak), we are given some of the most incredible visions of our infinite universe. Moving photographs in all honesty. Unique and never-before seen renderings of what it looks like to see a moving airliner from space, or the bizarre relationship humans might have to the moon in the years to come, through the form of a lunar airport, in this case; just completely expanded a fascination long held with this realm up above, and an enamoring I can only depict as ‘inexplicable', and void of a fulfillment I will never know, speaking more poetically, I guess.

The effects showcased throughout are breathtaking, and I repeatedly marveled at how realistically rendered everything was made to be. The rocket ships and rovers, the surrounding atmospheres and planets we pass, and the characters’ interaction in 0G environment (not new, but still cool), among other things, really didn’t lend too much consciousness to the sub-story of its own process and production quality (which, in itself, is an enthralling tale), as we were temporarily transported to a new existence; a setting that isn’t that blasphemous to reality, and in fact, might be a little closer than you think.

Writer and director, James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant), spoke of the film in great detail, along with the cast and some officials from NASA (who all aided in providing the type of accuracy and design so strived for), in a recent interview with of the Washington Post, where he discussed the deeper meanings and themes planted carefully throughout, as well as the unique experience of finally bringing this work to fruition, (a process that was 10 years in the making). But among the compelling variety of things brought into conversation, Gray, acknowledging the great oeuvre of space exploration portrayed in cinema (another great research project to consider), stated that he was aiming for a representation that was more “scientific-future-fact” than sci-fi. “I sort of look at it as an alternate reality” Gray explained, "a near future, as if the sixties’ space programs that were so awesome, that slowed down, would not have slowed down, and would have kept going, and the moon would have been continued to be visited and built up, and we would have gone to Mars. And then maybe 50 or a 100 years from now we would have ‘Ad Astra’”.

Fascinating stuff indeed! And there are plenty of other aspects following this initiative of realism and future fact as well, with nods to real missions and endeavors from the past, painstaking research combined to make every space craft, structure, and object within our focal plain as utilitarian, and as authentic, as we rarely see in film (the ability to provide an explanation of use for every single thing, was a secondary priority integrated into the production. Another fun peek of the inevitable that we received was of the visionary organization, Virgin Galactic, the persistent dream of billionaire and entrepreneur, Richard Branson. In this not too distant era, we see that Virgin has been made, seemingly, into the foremost provider of transportation and tourism in space (in this case, Brad Pitt boards a casual flight to the moon, where comfort packs are offered at a hefty $130!). And with a little less exclusivity involved with space travel and other such enterprises, our view of this foreign dynamic slightly resembles that of a ‘modern day’ Star Wars (awesome!). Fantastic little bits, and “easter eggs” (if you will), such as this provide a very progressive, vivid, and sometimes humorous portrait of what lies ahead of us all in the the everlasting quest to the stars.

There are many factors that make this movie great (all of which I won’t have time to pursue in this article), and there a few themes that provide great brainfood, long after the theater. To swiftly review, Roy’s father left to answer the perpetual call of foreign life in our universe. Aliens. Aliens incite a slightly strange, but wondrous feeling in us, as we acknowledge the belief, or not, of something greater than us. Without seeming to proclaim a subjective opinion on the matter, nonetheless, it provides a spiritual theme throughout the movie, with recitation of scripture from the Bible appearing every so often to further bring across the notion, the idea of the invisible force of the unknown.

I’ve neglected to to compliment an ingredient that furnishes this tale with great potency, serving as the perfect check up on your status of investment within the story. Action! I’m not going to spoil anything, but the high-stacked, time sensitive risks and obstacles posed by outer space, are a type of thrill that I have always loved. The filmmakers and artists behind this film really find great ways to keep you on the edge of your seat, while still considering the aspects of design, and accuracy. As well as the threats posed by the climate right outside of the shuttle door, people do pick up their end of the rope to fulfill the corruption and danger that they did on earth… but now in space; a bunch of turbulent, smart, gripping, and just really cool stuff that I’ll leave you to discover for yourself.

Conclusion:

In the exploration of space in movies, over the many years, we’ve experienced pretty much everything, ranging from adventure to horror, thrillers and dramas and comedies, among others; but Ad Astra offers something a little different to the audience. We’ve all met the robots, aliens, astronauts, and even an ancient order of laser wielding of peace keepers along this journey, but our fascination continues to wildly thrive with this surrounding expanse, and with the oceans of curiosities beyond our already profound world of undiscovered knowledge. But in this film, we are given a beautifully detailed portrait of man in outer space (sounds pretty plain). There is not just one thing to mention, but a whole group, that integrates into the story: fatherhood, relationships, curiosity, facing danger, realization of humanity’s true place as a tiny cog in the unfathomable machine of our universe, among others. Many things are realized, both broken and resolved, but not one rules above the rest; it is this equal collaboration amongst themes, I believe, that gives this piece such a clever, fervent atmosphere. Forgive me if this comes across as a bit abstract/vague, but I feel I can’t bear to pigeonhole the effect it had me (little dramatic, but rings true). So, in retrospect (to put things much simpler), this space-bound adventure is definitely worth seeing, especially on the big screen if you have the chance, using the tremendous notions of the universe to pave the way for the grand event that is Roy’s anticipated encounter with his estranged father. And through a perilous, but determined journey, and in the hopes to resolve a fractured fragment of his being, we watch as Roy McBrand reopens a hole, sewn full of memories, mistakes, and hopes, to where we find a better, much better, man in the end.

If you enjoyed this film, you might take interest in:

For All Mankind (1989)

Directed by Al Reinert

Sometimes to look to the future we must look to the record of the past. For All Mankind, in relation to James Gray’s work, is an equally impressive, equally captivating work from journalist and documentarian, Al Reinert. This beautiful work documents the important work of NASA’s Apollo Space Program, that lasted during the 60s and 70s. Tens of thousands of photographic artifacts and reels of film were uncovered for the first time in over 20 years (in the mid 80s), where they otherwise sat in perfect condition in a controlled freezer environment. Even with just the opening scenes, I absolutely fell in love with the crisp and authentic tones that made a true spectacle of themselves on screen. And the still taken on the moon (above) is a gorgeous piece in itself, but also serves as a nice compliment to the execution of realism and environment in Ad Astra. This is the perfect companion film to watch alongside Ad Astra, as we imagine the fateful transition between the first endeavors of the 60s, to over 100 later, maybe. The “yada-yada-yada”, so to speak! Enjoy!

All photo credit goes to 20th Century Fox©