88. Spaceman; movie review

 

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SPACEMAN

Cert 15

107 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

"I would give it 8.5/10 because it was so different."

Mrs W's enthusiastic endorsement of Johan Renck's Spaceman surprised me, given her intense fears of spiders.

Arachnophobes should be aware that a giant, eight-legged, multi-eyed monster occupies quite a lot of screen time.

Indeed, it could be said it is the co-star of Adam Sandler, who plays Jakub, a Czech astronaut investigating mysterious purple clouds around Jupiter.

Jakub is a national hero for leading a solo mission further than anyone has ever been but the claustrophia and isolation are taking its toll.

He becomes particularly jittery when his cyberlink to his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), appears to break down. Then, the spider appears, speaking English and taking on the role of a very insightful therapist.

It is never clear whether the spider (voiced by Paul Dano) is a figment of his imagination or an alien traveller.

Either way, it prompts reflections on his life mistakes, including the reasons for his failing marriage.

Meanwhile, mission control plays lip service to their astronaut's mental health needs because they are wrapped up in a battle with South Korea to be first to reach the Jupiter clouds.

Initially, it seems strange not to have the USA and Russia as the main protagonists in the space race, but presumably, writer Colby Day thought that would be a distraction.

It leaves the viewer to concentrate on Jakub and Lenka, floating between the past and the present as Jakub weighs up what is most important to him - the mission and worldwide celebrity or his wife and their unborn child.

The contradiction between exploring a faraway planet and being unable to see what is closest is intriguing and well-executed.

Meanwhile, there are surreal elements that have echoes of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

And Spaceman provides more evidence that Sandler's serious movies are much better than his comedies.

Nevertheless, I would give it 7.5 so the compromise mark is 8/10.

Reasons to watch: Surreal but enlightening.

Reasons to avoid: Too weird at times

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Galileo craft dropped a probe into Jupiter's atmosphere; it broadcast for about 45 minutes before being crushed by the thick atmosphere.

The final word. Johan Renck: "He (Adam Sandler) can be anything all the way from really stupid dumb humor all the way into sophisticated, great humor and everything in between. And then, obviously, when he's playing more dramatic roles, like in Punch-Drunk Love or the Safdie brothers movie and things like that, you see his technical skills." Screen Rant

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