The Aeronauts

Starring: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Lewin Lloyd, Vincent Perez, Phoebe Fox, Robert Glenister
Directed by: Tom Harper
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A balloon pilot (Felicity Jones) and a scientist (Eddie Redmayne) team up to attempt to break the height record while studying the upper atmosphere.

Review:

Tim: I'm a really big fan of The Aeonauts. It's a thrilling, scientific action adventure movie that's inspired by true events. It routinely sacrifices historical accuracy for entertainment, but I was more okay with this than not. I had a blast watching this movie and I'd highly recommend it.

The most jarring historical inaccuracy is that in the balloon launch upon which this movie is based, it was two men who made the record-shattering launch, not a man and a woman. The character of Amelia Wren was fabricated for this film. I have to admit, taking that much of a creative liberty with an actual historical event does hurt this movie. It tells a fascinating story, the heart of which isn't true at all. However, this doesn't sink the movie in my opinion (although it's a big reason why this isn't a great film). Here's why I was relatively okay with this- Amelia may not have been a real person, but she was based on a few real people. There was a woman balloonist who lost her husband in an accident and she continued on, for example. That gave me some level of comfort, knowing the character wasn't completely pulled out of thin air (stop). Secondly, part of the reason a woman wouldn't have been involved in an attempt like this is the near continuous sexism that has plagued this planet since time immemorial. I loved the character of Amelia Wren because she's such a strong woman character- she's brave, intelligent, resilient, caring. She makes a wonderful role model for women. Society has always held women like her down (or at least attempted to), and I appreciated that this movie sacrificed some historical accuracy to showcase a character like this. So, this hurts the movie in some ways, but it's a benefit in others. No one ever said reviewing movies was an easy process.

I'm also a big Felicity Jones fan, so that helps. I really believe Jones has the talent to play nearly any role, and she's shown an impressive range in her roles and films thus far in her career. She's excellent in this movie- she makes this character unforgettable. The highlight has to be the scene (MINOR SPOILER) where she climbs up the side of the balloon. It's a great scene, but it's Jones' performances that pulls you to the edge of your seat. She's simply a great actress and I loved that she got to showcase that here. No question, Jones is one of the great strengths of this film. I've been less a fan of Eddie Redmayne. Sure, he's a talent actor. There's just something that has never clicked with me. I guess I just don't like the cut of his jib. However, I acknowledge that he was good here. He restrained his more annoying qualities to play this real life scientist. He does a lot here- for much of it, he seems quiet and introspective, but she shows some major outbursts of emotion as the movie goes on. It's a solid performance and I have no complaints. It also helps that Redmayne and Jones have worked together before- they have an easy chemistry and comfort with each other that helps the film. The supporting cast is fine, but I do want to mention Himesh Patel. He doesn't have a lot to do, but what he does is strong.

The visuals were excellent here. If you think about the movie, it's two people in the 1860s taking a hot air balloon up higher than any humans have ever attempted. As you'd expect, the visuals of the sky and the retreating earth are absolutely stunning. The clouds, the storms, the unexpected that they encounter- it's all gorgeous. Numerous times I watched in awe at the surroundings here. The cinematography and the visual effects were top notch. This is such a beautiful movie.

It's not all pretty sights, though. This movie delivers some of the best thrills I've seen recently. This is a thoroughly exciting movie. Our protagonists go through the absolute gauntlet in their quest and it's one incredible journey. This is one of the most nerve-racking adventure movies I've seen. You think about how there's really no margin for error. One wrong movie could have you plummeting to your death with no chance of survival. This is such a heart-pounding movie- I loved it.

The Aeronauts is a seriously good movie. It was entertaining, Jones is remarkable, and it does inform you somewhat about the historical events (I do recommend reading about the true events, though). This is one of the better Amazon movies I've seen. It makes me sad that if wasn't for the current Covid-19 crisis and six weeks of quarantine, I might never have watched this.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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