I must confess that I am not a great fan of Sci-Fi movies. The only one which remains a personal favourite is #TheMartian starring #MattDamon (https://www.ashoksfive.com/post/the-martain-keep-the-quips-coming-matt) . And so it was with great trepidation that I tuned in to the latest #NetflixIndia offering.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #TheMidnightSky starring the redoubtable #GeorgeClooney in a very different avatar. He plays a scientist Augustine Lofthouse who is unwell and alcoholic and chooses to remain at the Barbeau Observatory in the Arctic Circle, when the earth has been devastated and is not inhabitable any more. All the people have relocated to dwellings below the surface. He discovers a little girl who has been left behind and together they share an adventure.
There is a parallel story that runs in the film. A group of space astronauts led by Adewole ( #DaviOyelowo) are returning from newly found planet K23 but cannot return to the Earth owing to the crisis there. They have families back at Earth and the story revolves around the interplay of relationships between them and their families. The cast includes #FelicityJones as Sully and #TiffanyBoone as Maya. The rest of the crew includes Sanchez (#DamienBichir) and Mitchell (#KyleChandler).
#GeorgeClooney is also the director of the film set in 2049. The graphics, special effects and production values look great. However, the failing of the film is that there is just not enough time spent on any of the individual characters. You end up watching the drama without really being invested in any of their stories. The few moments of tender affection between Augustine and the little girl Iris make for wonderful viewing. There are subtle references to death and hope in the film, leveraging the disaster that the crew face when they undertake a space walk even as the female lead is pregnant. These cues are not enough to build a sustained narrative that builds momentum as the film progresses.
On the other hand, the shots of the harsh winter and snow, coupled with Augustine and the child making heavy weather of sparse looking microwave meals make for gloomy viewing. I was left wondering what to focus on and who to follow in the narrative.
#TheMidnightSky is adapted from the 2016 novel #GoodMorningMidnight by #LilyBrooksDalton. It was more a dystopian fairy tale for adults. The film is an interesting premise and does have its moments but the threads don't add up at the end and you feel stranded at the end!
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