Here
it is. The annual space film about an individual who has to go to the vastness
of space to find out who they truly are. Many have tried, and many have failed,
to tell a sweeping narrative amongst the stars that gets to the root of
humanity, but none have been quite as brilliant as James Gray’s Ad
Astra. While those seeking a fast-paced thrill ride may not find
what they’re looking for, but for those willing to look beneath the surface,
they’ll find an exploration of what it means to be human.
A
man (Brad Pitt) journeys across a lawless solar system to find his missing
father (Tommy Lee Jones) -- a renegade scientist that vanished sixteen years
ago in the far reaches of our solar system -- who now poses a threat to
humanity and every other living thing on Earth.
As
it always tends to go, the visuals seem to stand out in all the praise for the
film. The use of a mesmerizing color palette from location to location give the
film a unique look while maintaining some familiarity with these places we’ve
seen before. The difference with Ad Astra comes
when director James Gray and cinematography Hoyte Van Hoytema resist the urge
to get lost in sweeping shots of space, and choose to focus on the intimate
moments instead. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a grand and ethereal score
from Max Richter to go along with the spectacular visuals.
The
deeper themes of the film are abundant, and often fairly clear for those paying
attention. On a purely surface level inspection, the ideas of man’s place in
the universe are all over the film. A visit to the moon reveals a tourist trap,
complete with an Applebee’s, and pirates fighting for resources, showcasing
human’s desire to colonize and conquer no matter the destination.
But
then the film delves deeper. As man searches for other life in the universe,
the reality of the situation becomes much smaller. We strive to find other
intelligent life to potentially save us from our problems, both big and small.
In that way, James Gray keeps a balance of tone firmly in place, between an
epic journey through the cosmos and the personal turmoil of Brad Pitt’s
character Roy McBride struggling with sins of the father.
Through
all of the spectacle and philosophy, the center of the film’s universe is Brad
Pitt. Carrying both the emotional and physical weight is no easy task, yet Pitt
delivers the most subtle, refined, and maybe, best performance of his career.
In the moments of quiet, subdued thought, Pitt’s face often occupies the frame and
the pain of his character floods over the film. There is no showiness, no big
scene where Pitt unleashes on that anger and anguish, there is just a man,
perfectly calibrated to do his job.
Ad Astra is
the newest addition in a line of highbrow sci-fi that’s occupied many a screen
over the past few years, and it just may be the best of them all. Gray has
constructed visual splendor in the midst of human tragedy and hurt, wrapped it
in quite a bit of weirdness, and delivered it to the masses. It may not be a
box office sensation, and it’s likely to only contend in below the line
categories for awards, but time will favor this film like few others. Give
yourself over to this film, invest in it, be patient with it, and you just may
witness the newest sci-fi masterpiece.
No comments :
Post a Comment