Where I think “Ad Astra” misses the mark is in
so closely marrying its subtext with its text.
Roy is navigating his relationship to his absent
father both literally and figuratively. Daddy
issues, alone, can take you only so far, even if
it’s to Neptune. Aside from verging on the one-
note, that focus constricts the very linear, very
self-contained “Ad Astra,” a taut but inflexible
chamber piece in a genre given to symphony.
That minimalism, though, is also part of the
considerable appeal of “Ad Astra.” The placid
surface of Pitt’s carefully calibrated performance
slowly cracks. And it’s often riveting to watch
how Gray remakes fairly familiar science-fiction
terrain. Working with cinematographer Hoyte
van Hoytema (who also shot “Interstellar”),
Gray brings his typically formalist style and
firm command to stripped-down scenes
that approach the sublime. A dazzling chase
sequence with buggy-riding pirates on the
moon is depicted nearly soundlessly.
Gray has a gift for shrinking massive set pieces and
enlarging private dramas. In “Ad Astra,” he travels
2.7 billion miles through space. It’s a long way to
go for a talk with your dad, but a fair distance for
uncovering a ray of hope in a lifeless void.
“Ad Astra,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated
PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of
America for some violence and bloody images,
and for brief strong language. Running time: 124
minutes. Three stars out of four.
MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material
may be inappropriate for children under 13.