Ad Astra was directed by James Gray ( The Lost City of Z) and stars Brad Pitt. Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland are in this movie as well in very small roles, and Liv Tyler also appears for about a total of two minutes. This is the Brad Pitt show. And it is a good show. He carries the entire movie on his shoulder effortlessly. I don't think I ever saw him give a bad performance and this performance is just perfect. Even the voiceover is great, when in other movies it usually it feels awkward. But Pitt can never be awkward. His performance is both powerful and subtle. He is a true star.
This movie takes place in the future. It says near future, but it feels more like the far future. Brad Pitt plays an astronaut called Roy McBride. He is the best in his line of work, he loves his work, he doesn't have a lot of personal connections which can affect his work and he always stays calm. But that calm is disturbed when he is informed that his father, who went missing in space when he was just 16 may still be alive. There are strange disturbances happening all around the world and throughout = the solar system. These disturbances can be lethal and end all life eventually. It is believed that the project that McBride's father worked on when he went missing is the cause of these disturbances. Any attempt to establish communication with Clifford McBride has failed. Now Roy must travel the solar system to find out what happened to his father and to save the world.
This movie is a lot more interesting than I thought it will be. I can't that it is action packed, but it has some action in it. Most importantly, it is very suspenseful. There is not a boring moment in this movie. The plot always moves forward. I read reviews that called this movie a slow burner, but I didn't feel it. It always felt like either something is happening or something is being discussed. Not a boring minute in my mind.
The ideas that this movie brings up are deep. This isn't a mission movie, it is more about what to do with your life movie. What gives something meaning? I didn’t expect the ending of the movie, but it wasn't played for shock value. Just as bringing the message of the movie home. I thought it was very original and I loved it.
This movie was not on the radar of a lot of people for some reason. But if you're looking for ideas about great movie to watch, this is one of those movies. It have both style and content. It's not perfect, but it is close to it.
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