“Ad Astra”– Movie Review

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new science-fiction drama by James Gray, “Ad Astra”, starring Brad Pitt.

Synopsis

When an astronaut is sent into space to retrieve his long-lost father, can he successfully complete his mission once he learns that his father is considerably less heroic than his legend would have him believe?

Story

Roy McBride (Pitt) has spent his career as an astronaut just like his father before him, Clifford (Jones).  He has tried to live up to the valiant reputation his father left as a legacy. Unfortunately, Roy has not seen his father for decades; sent on a mission 30 years ago, he never returned and hasn’t been heard from in all of that time.  When Roy is sent out to perform routine maintenance on some equipment, there’s a horrible explosion, killing or injuring several of his colleagues. Once Roy recuperates from his own injury, his officers summon him to a secret meeting.  They believe that the electrical storm that occurred may have emanated from space -- specifically, from where Clifford was last located.

The new mission on which Roy is sent is an unusual one:  head to Mars, where the base there can send a secure message to Clifford in order to confirm not only his existence but also the reason for the storm.  However, once Roy gets there and starts trying to communicate with his father, they deem he is too emotionally connected to the project and decide to send him home.  Before he can be returned to earth, he uncovers a secret: Clifford was not the hero he was purported to be. In fact, he may have endangered his team on the mission they were on, known as The Lima Project.

A new plan is formed:  the space agency will send astronauts to Neptune, where The Lima was destined, and neutralize Clifford.  When Roy discovers this, he overpowers the crew and goes on the mission himself -- the difference being that his goal is to return his father to Earth.  After surmounting a number of challenges, Roy finally confronts Clifford on board his ship; Clifford tells Roy the whole story and it is clear that Clifford is in a compromised mental state.  But dedicated to his own job to the point of an unhealthy obsession, Clifford doesn’t want to return to Earth with Roy. Can Roy convince Clifford to come with him or will he have to punish his father for his crimes?     

Review

Sometimes, visually stunning movies don’t have much of a story to go with them; perhaps the filmmakers are hoping that you won’t notice that since you’re being wowed by the special effects.  Fortunately, such is not the case with “Ad Astra”, which may well be one of Brad Pitt’s best performances, if not his best. Good science fiction is more about humanity than it is about science and that’s where “Ad Astra” succeeds.  The human condition, human flaws and human frailties are perhaps the most essential themes of the movie. Social media has lately been buzzing about how this film is either a celebration or an indictment of toxic masculinity. To say that such an assertion is a bit of a stretch may be the understatement of the year.

“Ad Astra”, a Latin term which means “to the stars”, might best be described as “Apocalypse Now” set in outer space:  someone from the military must neutralize a fellow member of the military who has gone rogue -- but must do so without going completely off the rails himself.  It’s got a tinge of a “Star Wars” element to it in the sense that it’s son versus father -- except in this case it’s Roy versus Clifford instead of Luke versus Darth.  While there may be some dispute with respect to the comparisons, there is no disputing how well the story is crafted, although the resolution may be a little sappy. 

If you can surrender yourself to the movie and immerse yourself in its sense of reality -- that is to say, disregard the fact that you’re watching a good deal of CGI -- then it is truly splendid to behold.  While the story is somewhat slow paced, there are plenty of action sequences to prevent you from nodding off. There is a touch of Shakespeare, too, in that Pitt’s character has a number of soliloquies throughout the film -- but there is certainly justification for that.  Roy is trying to resolve certain issues in his own life -- not just the conflict with his father, but also the fact that his marriage suffered due to his dedication to his career.