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Film reviews

Spaceman Review

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This is a space adventure that is not a normal space movie. Spaceman dives into the world of lost connection. Directed by John Renck, Spaceman explores the unsettling notion of loneliness and boredom while an astronaut is solo in space and deep in thought. Spaceman causes its audience to think deeply about how that individual is feeling. I was mesmerized by the film’s stunning cinematography that heightened the emotions that flow through the film’s narrative.

Spaceman focuses on an astronaut, Jakob Prochazka (played by Adam Sandler). Jakob is alone in space, but famous back home on Earth. His fame comes from the fact that he is from the Czech countryside and is the country’s first astronaut. He is on his way to do research on a mission in Venus. Back home, however, there is conflict with his wife Lenka (played by Carrey Mulligan). Jakob has not made his wife a priority, because he was focused on his life as an astronaut. Based upon Jakob’s background which involves a tainted relationship with his father,a Communist informer, he feels he needs to prioritize his mission…no matter the costs.

Jakob is in space to research ancient dust. His assistant Peter (played by Kunal Navyar) communicates with Jakob about anything aboard the spacecraft. Jakob’s knowledgeable colleague is Commissioner Tuma (played by Isabella Rossellini). Lenka, Peter, and Commissioner Tuma are all back on Earth. Jakob’s solitude causes him to have deep and dramatic thoughts. All his thinking begins to shift when a giant alien spider comes aboard with him. Jakob names the creature Hanus (voiced by Paul Dano). Once Jakob is with Hanus, Hanus helps guide his thinking and helps him realize how he can be a better person. The bond between Jakob and Hanus is one of empathy and compassion—two friends alone in space examining life far away.

Hanus becomes Jakob’s savior and allows him to be fulfilled. As Hanus says, “Perhaps my presence can lessen your solitude,” Spaceman transitions into a world of revelations as Jakob discovers truths which help bring him happiness once the mission in space is accomplished. As The film alternates between life on Earth and life in space with details that are in-depth and compelling.

The thorough exploration of feelings in Spaceman and their impact left me breathless. The performances of both Sandler and Mulligan are knockouts. Dano delivers the voice of wisdom as the creature companion in the film. The dynamic of mixed relationships with mentorship from Hanus creates a space odyssey in which sadness find a purpose. Will Jakob make things right with Lenka when he returns home? Do Jakob’s accomplishments make him feel important? Is Hanus there to encourage Jakob? There is the saying in the film that goes, “I have lived a life for all the wrong reasons.” From the film’s point-of-view seen through auteur direction, those reasons should not mean giving up.

With all the doubts, trials, and errors, Spaceman is a poetic deliverance. The friendship of Jakob and Hanus is like the Wilson connection from Cast Away. The astronaut loves the creature as much as Tom Hanks loved the Wilson ball. Spaceman beautifully portrays solitude and the desperation to have friendship and company. With the scenes of hardship and sadness so amazingly directed, Spaceman hit close to home for me. It made reflect upon how the past cannot be undone but there is still hope for things to be better in the present and the future. Will Jakob truly find love with Lenka after his mission? Find out in Spaceman. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Society of the Snow Review

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Director J.A. Bayona delivers a film in which surviving peril is critical. Society of the Snow is a breathtaking experience filled with heightened suspense. The cinematography highlights the film’s emotions, and the scenery is truly amazing. The writing is a narrative on the importance of staying put. Society of the Snow reminds viewers that some moments in life require sacrifice and patience, two key factors in this film about friends who are as close as brothers in a detrimental situation. Everyone is hoping for one thing…to make it home alive. Will they make it?

Society of the Snow is a true story. It takes place in 1972 and focuses on a plane crash where a rugby team finds themselves stuck in the Andes mountains with the plane for shelter for over two months. The main characters are the team’s deeply connected rugby players, Fernando ‘Nando’ Parrado (played by Agustin Pardella), Adolfo ‘Fito’ Strauch (played by Esteban Kukuriczka), and Daniel Fernandez Strauch (played by Franciso Romero). While they expected to be on a vacation, they instead survive a plane crash but must learn to navigate uncharted territory. With weather getting colder, food and water supplies running low, and no connection for help, time is running out. Fortunately, they have each other.

The turbulence of the peril they’re in is brutal. The film’s narrative explains each detail of the mountainous environment and how it feels to suffer. The story also dives into what keeps everyone afloat and delivers the message that time is of the essence because as the narrator says, “The only thing that doesn’t belong is us.” Everyone is suffering because they are in a harsh environment where their bodies cannot handle the changing conditions. Cold is the evil which contributes to the horrific crash and terrible aftermath of the passengers on the Uruguayan flight featured in Society of the Snow.

The film emphasizes how the rugby team holds out for chances and holds on until help comes for them. The desire to live is the most enduring element in Society of The Snow. The plane’s passengers think back to their lives and what could have been different back in the past and the present. They wonder if things would have been different if they had not boarded the plane. 

During the movie, I was reminded of a college weather course which touched on global warming and other issues related to changing weather conditions. Since the brutal cold and harsh environment play such a vital role in this film, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the importance weather plays in our world.

Society of the Snow is an experience filled with hope. Although the film has moments in which the audience can feel hopelessness beginning to set in, the stranded rugby players retain a sense of faith. This true story is about a challenging fight for a chance to live in a perilous situation where resilience and hope never end. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Society of the Snow.

Film reviews

Rebel Moon: Part One-A Child of Fire Review

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I went in with mixed expectations with Rebel Moon-Part one: A Child of Fire. The movie’s director, Zack Snyder, is known for visual captivations and a lot of invigorating action. He always finds the right components to bring those elements to his films. A great example would be his 2007 blockbuster 300. A film where the action uses a lot of slow-motion and sounds that the audience can feel as they watch the movie. There are a few of those components in Rebel Moon-Part One, though sadly it is one of the biggest mediocre experiences of 2023. Set against a sci-fi horizon dealing with perilous forces, it looks attention-grabbing perceptibly, however its writing is scanty.

The film takes place on a distant moon where its normally peaceful existence is in danger from authorities of a nemesis force. One woman, Kora (played by Sofia Boutella) fights for survival. She is one of the strangers that knows the routes to fighting for the existence of her home and the villagers around her. She begins to assemble a team for a war. The enemy is Admiral Atticus Noble (played by Ed Skrein). The army thatassists her is made up of Kai (played by Charlie Hunnam), Gunnar (played by Michiel Huisman), Tarak (played by Staz Nair), and General Titus (played by Djimon Hounsou). Much of Kora’s team are people from different lands, outcomes, environments, and lifestyles. Each person on Kora’s team has a backstory which adds to the futuristic component of the film. Their mission is to battle with Mother World. It is a setting where galaxies have boundaries along with politics. The premise is clever, but the film is dry.

Even though this is just the first part, I will give credit in respect to its establishing the characters and their settings. It seems mostly to lay the ground for what is to come in the second film.I still lack faith going forward though. There is not much to say that is positive about Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire. It is a blur of a fictionalized storyline which could have been much more creative in its telling.

The sci-fi element keeps afloat in being superb in its technological factors. The storyline though, remains unclear and with a weak script. It felt rushed and forgettable. I was not impressed by its lack of effort to put its pieces together. I will say the one piece where I felt served a purpose was a ship hovering over a galaxy. That is a piece to the puzzle that has a form of meaning. That would be because it reminded me of District 9 (2009). This film has that apartheid vibe but tries to make itself go into the realm of a comic book type experience, but it never makes it. There is nothing special or comically intriguing about the film. The experience leads to a boredom where factors just keep falling into place without explanation. The film attempts to make up for its poor storyline with action and suspense, but it is hard to enjoy when there is no foundation established. This makes viewers wonder which piece of the puzzle they missed. Many questions are left unanswered and lead to pure confusion and frustration.

Seeing this film was a treacherous experience of exasperation. A sci-fi adventure with no surprises is no fun. It had great action and suspense with CGI galore…but no meaning to any of it. I feel that the direction of this was not looked over well enough in the process. It was as if the writing was being done as the film was being made. One out of four stars for Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire.