Reviews

Ad Astra is a mythological epic about a man's transformation from traumatised automaton to loving human. It happens to be set in space. Roy (Pitt) must travel to his father (Lee Jones), who happens to be near Neptune, and who's influence continues to be destabilising and destructive to Roy, as well as humanity as a whole. A fever-dream of allegorical events flows into a 79 days of deep-space solitude, after which Roy emerges like Jesus, the wood-carved Buddha or a particularly zen butterfly as a man knowing himself, forgiving himself, and forgiving others. Roy finds his father, who is still running from himself and cannot find the strength to stop, choosing death instead. In the tradition of myth-logic, Roy then performs several impossible feats as proof of his enlightenment in a grand return to Earth.

This is not necessary the film that we ended up with, but it would have been with:

> Less on-the-nose narration. Example include "they're using me!" (we know, we thought you did too) or when he goes all Tyler Durden at the moon space-port. Pitt's face is receptive, as if he's always listening, but his voice talks too much. > Less unnecessary exposition. I don't need to know the moon pirates are moon pirates, only that the moon is a dangerous place and proof of mankind's inability to find mass peace/ enlightenment in the way Roy will. (on that note, the space-monkeys didn't bother me. In myth-logic, it's fine, if a little obvious). > A stronger shift in tone after Roy's space hibernation, specifically removing threat. There were elements of a shift but it undermined itself on a few different counts. At this point, Roy was already ready to let his dad go, without more convincing (no space-hug needed), and the leap to his ship effortless and more obviously impossible. (Less exposition for the nuclear-blast surfing would achieve the same). > There was no need for him to return to his girlfriend. All we ever saw of her was in the context of a terrible relationship and so, from the audience's perspective, there was nothing worth saving. Returning to Earth should have been a fresh start in general, and it ruins the film's message to confine his new enlightened space-love to the girlfriend/mother archetype. > His aging escort seemingly served no purpose at all. > Stronger emphasis on the failure of communication. There are many times were Roy talks only for no one to answer, as if he doesn't exist. They build on this a bit with him eventually not waiting for an answer, but could have gone further with him simply speaking less and less - heading for the cocoon before he is quite there physically. > A clearer stance on ever present surveillance. e.g. The constant monitoring of Roy's mental health is itself helping to deteriorate his mental health.

There are perhaps other things. But in general, my experience was there is an incredible thought slightly-derivative space odyssey film in there somewhere, which only a little imagination can bring out. The cinematography is simply jaw-dropping - for once, an AAA film that uses texture! The performances are similarly mesmerising, with Pitt, on whose performance the entire film relies, doing my favourite work of his career.

A beautiful and heartbreaking exploration of what I can only recognise as post-university life: Miso, struggling to pay the rising monthly cost of rent, medicine, food, cigarettes and whisky, tries to crash with old friends while she finds somewhere cheaper.

Once bandmates, these friends have gone their own ways. Some want nothing to do with her, others a little too much, but what unites these re-encounters is Miso's open, unashamed charm and the devastating effect this has on her friends. Friends who, while only a little way up the road of compromises that seem to make up adult life, can't bear to be faced with someone who is not yet compromised.

Miso will pay for this. But my conclusion was not to judge her refusal to change, or either to condemn the so-called "friends" unable to take her seriously, but to lament the overwhelming misery of it all. The city is too expensive. It demands not compromise but servitude from those like Miso who lack support. She would have to give up all her joy to meet its standards. And this was the choice of her friends, and worse, a choice taken as necessity. (Meaning they fail to respect her choice to do otherwise).

The film is well paced, subtle and timed. The cinematography was soft, deep and understated: teetering between aesthetic/attractive and pragmatic/unconscious successfully. Similarly, the editing has style but also purpose, never distracting from the world of the film.

It's difficult to say just how impressed I am by Microcosm. Just that I can only begin to wonder why such a great film flew so low, and that I start getting annoyed when I do.