Ad Astra

            Co-written and directed by James Gray, this new space drama is technically and visually fantastic but the pace and score may actually put you to sleep. The title is Latin for "to the stars". Titled in a dead language is actually appropriate as Brad Pitt stars and his performance is so controlled and nuanced to the point of numbing blandness, you wish for Leonardo DiCaprio to show up in a cameo and bring him back to life.

             Alas, that doesn't happen but credit Mr. Pitt who actually performs perfectly suited to his character, Roy McBride.  Roy is an astronaut on a mission to find out what happened to his astronaut father, played by Tommy Lee Jones, who may be responsible for powerful surges from space threatening Earth. 

             The film also co-stars Donald Sutherland as a fellow astronaut, Ruth Negga, as a Mars station director and Liv Tyler as Roy's wife, back on earth. Natasha Lyonne also makes a quick cameo in an odd bit of casting. It's a strange film when all of the co-stars have relatively very small parts compared to Mr. Pitt, who commands the screen in almost every scene.

              The film is visually stunning. You actually believe these people are in space. Mr. Gray and his team should be congratulated for the technical aspects of the film. However, while the visuals hold your attention, the story moves so slowly (not helped by Mr. Pitt's monotonous voice-over) that you can find yourself drifting off into space too. There are a few action sequences that are exciting but they are too short and far between.

               Mr. Gray and writing partner Ethan Gross have a lot to say about family (fathers and sons, in particular), loss, and self sacrifice. The film is a moving but dour experience  filled with such promise, especially after a great opening sequence, but ultimately drags itself to a disappointing end.