Ad Astra

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler

Director: James Gray

In the not so distant future, Earth is left devastated by a round of mysterious surges. The government believes the person responsible is none other than renowned astronaut Clifford McBride (Jones), who was the first to explore deep space and was working on The Lima Project before contact was lost. Roy McBride (Pitt), Cliff’s son, is summoned by the government to track down his father and stop the surges by any means necessary. In accepting this quest, Roy goes on a journey not only to the furthest reaches of space (with stops on the Moon, Mars, and finally Neptune) but also self reflectively as he prepares to come face to face with the father he hasn’t seen for decades.

I LOVED this movie and for me it ranks as some of the best Sci-Fi I’ve seen in a long time. While it took some time to finally make it to theaters, it was well worth the wait and the delays don’t indicate a lack of quality.

The film is anchored by an absolutely devastating turn from Brad Pitt. He’s having quite a year but this ranks as an all time performance from the actor. Between this and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt is showing he’s at the top of his game. It makes the recent news of him deciding to take fewer acting roles disappointing. I ultimately understand the decision but at least he is going out swinging. Despite little screen time, Tommy Lee Jones is astounding and brings incredible emotions to the game. He very well could win another Oscar for his work here. I wish more time had been spent with Liv Tyler and Ruth Negga’s characters, with only hints at emotional backstories that could have enhanced the film more.

Director James Gray had a vision and it was wonderfully realized in the visuals. They are flat out stunning. This is the biggest budget he’s had for a film and while that can end up being a detriment for directors unaccustomed to it, he never falters. It would have been easy to lose sight of the core emotional story with spectacle, but Gray is a smart and talented film maker, never losing control of either aspect. The overall pace may deter some viewers, but I was enthralled. The score is beautifully crafted and only underscores what's happening on screen, never becoming overbearing.

This is what I wanted from Interstellar, which failed in pretty much every aspect that I loved about this film. See this on the biggest screen you can. This emotional and ultimately hopeful journey is well worth it.