Ad Astra (2019)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Ad Astra (2019) – J. Gray

Moody, meditative, even melancholy science fiction that stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut following in the footsteps of a famous father (Tommy Lee Jones in a cameo) and reflecting on the man and his (psychological) influence.  There’s more to it than that, of course, but not much more – this is minimalist filmmaking (from director James Gray) that aims to hypnotise viewers (and succeeds).  Pitt provides a restrained internal performance that seems most unbelievable when he awakens emotionally to the events around him. Basically, he is co-opted into the search for his father who disappeared decades ago but may now be threatening the Earth from somewhere out beyond Neptune.  Major McBride (Pitt) is torn between his admiration for his father and his sense of duty to the Space Force. As with Tarkovsky’s Solaris (1973), ruminations about relationships (this time, father-son relations) are dressed up with a matter-of-fact look at life in the future (commercial flights to a tourist trap moon, not far from a warzone over mining rights) and some dreamy visuals.  Plus a few action sequences to spruce things up. Perhaps the ending (apparently foisted on the director) doesn’t quite fit, given the trauma experienced by McBride (across a lifetime) but Pitt makes a noble effort with the lines.  Worth a look, if you’re on this wavelength.