The vastness of space has led to some of the more beautiful endeavors in cinematic history. Whether it’s Interstellar, Gravity or 2001: A Space Odyssey (a film I haven’t seen but clips display the beauty captured on film), the idea of space and space travel produces pure emotions through the use of enticing visuals and compelling ideas. I remember when I saw Arrival back in 2016, not only was I enthralled by the magnetic performance of Amy Adams but I was also engulfed in its visual prowess and its ability to move me emotionally through its more quiet moments that let its visuals do the talking.
Adult sci-fi dramas are a tough sell at the box office because they usually ask for a lot of patience from the viewer. There are some moments of tension, but if you’re seeking the space battles of Star Wars, you will leave underwhelmed. More subdued sci-fi endeavors ask us more profound questions about humanity, and its themes of exploration go beyond exploring the unknown in space to exploring the unknown within ourselves. It’s interesting to note that sci-fi is a genre I like the least, yet some of my favorite films have emerged from it. That goes to show you that when they’re done right, they hit the mark.
Ad Astra is another sci-fi drama that hits the mark although its deliberately slow pace is bound to make most moviegoers squirm in their chairs (My screenings had three walkouts within the first 35 minutes). I don’t think they walked out because the film was weak. I think they were hoping for something a bit more exciting. The trailers for Ad Astra speak to its more art-house ambitions, but they also suggest a film that may offer up a bit more action. There are moments of tension in the movie, but Ad Astra is mostly quiet and subdued in its execution, but in that state of silence, there is beauty. Ad Astra, despite being deliberately slow, never bored me because its technical aspects are so beautiful and enthralling that it’s hard not to be consistently engaged.
Ad Astra, which means “to the stars” in Latin, really doesn’t take on an unrealistic futuristic take on space travel. A lot of the film is grounded in a reality that could take place and seems entirely plausible. In the movie, humanity has only begun reaching beyond our planet with communities existing on the moon, complete with commercial flights to get there. There are also bases on Mars which add to further exploration for those who seek it. The furthest that has been explored is Neptune, and that involved a doomed mission called The Lima Project that was led by astronaut H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) three decades ago. Communication was lost, and the spacecraft is feared to be lost as well with all on board presumed dead.
In the present day, there are reasons to assume that the spacecraft has not been lost. There have been a series of powerful energy surges that endanger not only all life on earth but the stability of the solar system. It is believed that these surges are being caused by the propulsion system from the ship, which means McBride might be alive and well causing the surges. In an attempt to uncover the truth, military officials recruit McBride’s son Roy (Brad Pitt) to take on a mission that will reveal what happened to The Lima Project. Roy is an elite astronaut whose heart rate never exceeds 80 bpm and while he’s born to do this job and approaches it with an unflinching willingness, it’s clear that the mystery of what happened to his father has plagued his entire life and his bravery to take on such missions just shields an emptiness that has closed him off emotionally.
I usually wait until later in the review to talk about performances, but the film wholly succeeds based on the presence of Brad Pitt. Supporting players such as Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler and Ruth Neega put in solid work, but they’re only granted a handful of scenes while it’s Pitt who has to carry the film on his shoulders. Between this and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt shows us why he’s one of the best actors of his generation because both roles display a range that couldn’t be any more different. Pitt’s performance here is wonderfully subdued, and sometimes roles like this are overlooked because they aren’t showy enough, but Pitt engages your emotions and attention through subtle means. Roy isn’t a big talker so a lot of his performance is based around merely seeing him react and it just shows that words aren’t always necessary to show that you’re entirely present in a scene. I think the performance is too low-key to garner awards attention, but between this and Hollywood, The Academy has some options when considering him.
Director James Gray wisely doesn’t rely on special effects. He uses them for sure, but they’re merely a tool and not a crutch. The screenplay and Roy are mostly front and center while the results are used to intensify certain scenes but not define them. An example of this is during the opening sequence with Roy working outside on a space antenna when a surge hits. The scene has all the spectacle of a big-budget endeavor, but it also serves a purpose to show Roy’s character beyond being a hook for the viewer. Later scenes, such as a response to a mayday from a Norwegian science ship and a rendezvous farther out in the solar system, elevate the tension but character is always at the forefront of these scenes. Aiding Gray is his cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema who is no stranger to space, having worked on Interstellar. Ad Astra is a beautiful film, and it makes an argument that Hoyema should be the go-to person for shooting films that our beyond our planet. I was especially impressed with how he always had Pitt’s face in focus which showed the importance of capturing his performance within the vastness of space.
I want to take a moment to talk about the score by Max Richter. He crafts beautiful pieces of music that compliment the visuals and add emotional weight to crucial scenes. His score during the climax of the film is goosebump-inducing, and it would be a shame if his music were overlooked when the Oscar nominations are announced. A film’s score is supposed to elicit emotions, and the music of Ad Astra does that on more than a few occasions.
Ad Astra isn’t going to be for everyone. It requires patience and an appreciation for filmmaking would also make this a more enjoyable experience for moviegoers. The film’s only misstep is that its central theme is a bit too heavy-handed for my taste (I won’t give it away here, but the father/son dynamics should make it visible) but beyond that Ad Astra is a beautiful piece of filmmaking that should be experienced on the big screen. Its focus on character as we explore the unknown boundaries of space, make for a film that is human and deeply emotional.
