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Nigel Paolo Grageda

“Ad Astra” Forges an Existentialist Path to Cosmic Life


The unfathomable stars seem to be within reach. But “Ad Astra” forges the closest path to cosmic life: existentialism — the black hole that gnaws at the human consciousness. The brain is actually vaster than space. With "Ad Astra," director and co-writer James Gray commands a galactic opera that utilizes metaphysics to propel its freshness. Brad Pitt is Major Roy McBride, a U.S. Space Command astronaut. When a power surge believed to come from the Lima Project's antimatter discharge threatens the whole solar system, he is tasked to attempt to find his father, the famed pioneer astronaut Col. H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) and commander of the Lima Project launched 26 years prior. Clifford has been deemed lost in space beyond retrieval as the Lima Project disappeared in Neptune's orbit sixteen years into the mission. Pitt channels McBride with rattled psyche perched on the thin line of mental composure. His performance in "Ad Astra" is sublime, with rampant mania perforating into his peace. A moving portrayal of the space trip's gravitational pull on the astronaut's frail psychology. The screenplay, co-written by Ethan Gross, is powerful composition. During scenes when McBride engages in rueful voice-over, "Ad Astra" progresses the story through Pitt's nuanced narration. The voice-over echoes white noise — the sole company of astronauts in space. Director Gray's vision shocks the possibilities of cosmic travel. "Ad Astra" becomes a meteoric opus packed with sleek camera strokes. Gray's lens revolves in the frame's orbit, launching the viewer's stare into a careening adventure of resonating gravitas. The camera pans and tracks lightly as if spacewalking with starry pupils. Amplifying the ambience is Max Richter’s plush musical score. "Ad Astra" strums magical decibels. If the galaxy is a giant glass, it would crack from the music's sensational tremor. Composing astonishing cinematography and visual effects, "Ad Astra" plugs in a sequence where McBride sprints across the Red Planet en route to catch a rocket. The Martian plateu is lit with hazy, hot palettes swallowing him in a beautiful scape upon colors of dusk and sunset. Hoyte van Hoytema, the director of photography, flashes his cinematic sorcery to draw cosmic pictures with atmospheric wonder. To reach the stars, "Ad Astra" amasses a longing of home. Earth is the shadow that looms astronomically in the minds of galactic voyagers. Just when astronauts are awfully close to discovering extraterrestrial life, their suit's cord yanks them back to Earth because it is all there is to explore. Foraying further means drifting into the mind's abyss — an existential flight. "Ad Astra" may have discovered the cosmos within: the human psyche is the deep galaxy that space junkies have been obsessively exploring. Director: James Gray Trailer © YouTube.com; 20th Century Fox

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