AdAstra sends Brad Pitt into outer space in search of his father—and filmmaker James Gray's cerebral sci-fi drama couldn't be more enthralling, says Peter Travers. Our review
but Gray and co-writer Ethan Gross keep the action humming, at least in the beginning. An early scene shows Roy working on a space antenna that shoots up from the ground like a limitless beanstalk. Then, boom, one of those power surges sends workers plummeting to their death. Roy barely escapes by parachute. But the danger is established and Gray’s filmmaking is tremendously exciting.
The mission heats up when Roy, ordered by SpaceCom not to call attention to himself, flies commercial to the moon. It’s the near future where people do that kind of thing. And the sight of the moon littered with mall-like shops packs a wicked sting. Traveling by rover across the lunar surface, Roy is attacked by space pirates in a scene bursting with energy and suspense. Ditto a moment of zero-gravity, hand-to-hand combat.
It’s here that the film leans in on solemnity. In voiceover, Roy expresses emotions we can’t see on his placid surface . In flashbacks, Liv Tyler shows up as Roy’s estranged wife, bemoaning his emotional coldness. References abound to other films about the loneliness and alienation that come with space travel, from Stanley Kubrick’s masterful to Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winningAt times, these references weigh down the film.
He needed an actor of stellar skills to keep us in orbit, which he gets in Pitt, whose portrayal is a marvel of nuanced feeling. Playing a spacebound stoic who refuses to wear his emotions on his sleeve can keep an audience at a distance — see Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in— but Pitt avoids that trap. His scenes with Jones, who can do more with a squint that most actors with pages of dialogue, never push for effect but achieve a wrenching power.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New movies in L.A. this week: Brad Pitt in 'Ad Astra,' 'Downton Abbey,' 'Rambo: Last Blood' and moreMovies opening in L.A. for Sept. 15-22 include Brad Pitt in 'Ad Astra,' a big-screen 'Downton Abbey' and Sly Stallone in 'Rambo: Last Blood'
Read more »
Nike's Controversial Colin Kaepernick Ad Wins Emmy For Best Commercial"Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything," Kaepernick said.
Read more »
YouTube Stops Counting Paid-Ad Views Towards Music Charts and 24-Hour Records'Our goal is to ensure YouTube remains a place where all artists are accurately recognized and celebrated for achieving success and milestones.'
Read more »
Light Phone’s New Ad Campaign Uses Tim Cook’s Own Quotes To Pitch A Minimalist PhoneThe founders of a minimalist phone designed to free people from their smartphone addiction are hoping the very words of Apple CEO Tim Cook might help their cause.
Read more »
Nike won its first 'outstanding commercial' Emmy in 17 years for an ad featuring Colin KaepernickA year after Nike's 'Dream Crazy' campaign featuring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick brought about heavy controversy, the company won the 'outstanding commercial' award at Sunday's Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Read more »
Controversial Nike ‘Dream Crazy’ Ad Wins Emmy for Best CommercialNike’s controversial “Dream Crazy” commercial, an extension of the brand’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign, took the win for best commercial at tonight’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards. “D…
Read more »