Ad Astra

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Kimberly Elise, Loren Dean, Donnie Keshawarz, John Ortiz, Bobby Nish, Liv Tyler, Ravi Kapoor, Natasha Lyonne
Directed by: James Gray
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An astronaut (Brad Pitt) undertakes a perilous journey to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones), who he learns may be alive, 16 years after losing contact with Earth.

Review:

Tim: Ad Astra is one of those movies that nearly defies explanation. It's a beautiful look at space travel, grounded in a very human story. It features a nearly endless array of exciting action sequences, but it's also a character study, offering quite a few quiet moments as well. While the film isn't without its flaws, it presents such a unique experience that I was unable to prevent getting caught up in it. I had a blast watching this movie and it is a considerable achievement for director James Gray.

I was amazed at how much was packed into this movie. It's a two-hour film and we get a series of incredible sequences. I suppose this would be considered SPOILERS, although I'll try and limit it. The film starts off with a ridiculous, heart-pumping free-fall scene. We then get a rover chase with pirates on the moon (which is extraordinarily cool). That's followed by one of the most unexpected, intense animal-in-space sequences I've ever seen. There's an insane unexpected battle with a space station crew, and all this is just to get to the main climax. I couldn't believe how much metaphorical ground this movie covered. Each of those sequences was exciting, intense, and incredibly depicted. Gray's attention to detail and insistence on grounding the film in realism pays off. All these things feel believable. This is a sci-fi film that doesn't ask the audience to suspend its disbelief too much. I'm sure scientists can point out scientific inaccuracies (and I've read some of those), but I was able to go with what I saw depicted on screen.

This is a film that never gets caught up in the visuals, though. It is first and foremost a character drama. I know critics were split on Brad Pitt, but I loved his performance here. It wasn't as flashy as his Academy Award winning turn in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, but he was masterful at various points in this film. I rarely think of Pitt as a great actor, but 2019 is making me rethink that. He brings stoicism and calm to the role, but he's able to convey a lot with those limitations in place. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and it's a big reason I liked the movie so much. I always, always love seeing Tommy Lee Jones. I wish he had a bit more screen time, but I'm thankful for every second he got. He gave a good supporting performance. Ruth Negga and Liv Tyler were both far underutilized, unfortunately. The movie needed better roles for women. Donald Sutherland was great in a supporting role that allowed him to contribute to the film. You can't complain too much about a film with Pitt, Jones, and Sutherland having decent-sized roles.

The movie was also expertly crafted. Gray's attention to detail was obvious and the visual effects were top notch, for what I imagine wasn't a massive budget. The added to the grandeur and the scale of the film. The movie was nominated for 1 Academy Award (it should have been more)- Best Sound Mixing.

Now, as much I loved this movie, the ending wasn't quite as powerful as it should have been. It's not bad enough to really hurt the movie, but it holds it back some. The time with Pitt and Jones felt a little rushed. I would have liked to see a few more minutes here. The movie was 2 hours, 3 minutes, but it moves quickly. Gray could have added another 3-4 minutes to the conclusion and the film would have been better for it.

I really did enjoy Ad Astra a great deal. It has a few flaws, but it's yet another great space movie (we've had quite a few of them over the last few years). Like the best space movies, it's not just an exploration of the final frontier, it's also an exploration of the inner space of human beings. I thought Gray was able to paint a beautiful space canvas while digging into what made Pitt's character tick and how his relationship with his father influenced his life. This movie delivered for me, and I wish more critics saw its strengths.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Gravity, Arrival, The Martian