El astronauta

Let's be honest, the theme of Spaceman has been done at least once before -- Steven Soderbergh's "Solaris" comes to mind. The macro-microcosm, the struggle of the masculine "outer" vs. Feminine "inner" or however you want to label it -- it's not new on film.

However, in the opinion of this reviewer, a lover of slow-burn cinema, transcendental and timeless themes of space, the Universe and our place in it, this movie has still managed to offer something original and breathe some soul into the otherwise rehashed theme.

Sandler pulls off the role easily and I found the set and the setting of the movie refreshing (I won't spoil it), let me just say... Chechoslovakia?

I don't _really_ understand people who say they love science fiction but who complain this was too slow, too stupid, too predictable and too... unrealistic (not suspending their disbelief). Science fiction is a very broad brush, and we haven't actually colonized even anything in the solar system, so let's dial back the arguing on what is feasible and possible and what is ridiculous.

The important thing this movie did for me is keep me thinking and feeling about the human condition, which is the holy grail of sci-fi in a way -- to get the reader or the viewer reach into the mysterious inner world through outer allegories, which often are about outer space or the extraterrestrial etc.

The fact this movie burns rather slowly is actually what did much of the trick for me. I am very tired of movies that think they have to have something happening all the time. The irony is that while things are happening, not much can be happening, if you know what I mean? And correspondingly when things slow down, through being affected by the \[slowly\] moving image, some kind of reaction between what I am thinking and what I am seeing, produces interesting form of entertainment for me.

Give "Spaceman" a chance, and it may reward you, depending on your mood and predisposition to slow cinema and a bit of the unexpected, if not entirely original.

I loved this movie, which I know by the simple fact that a day after I am still thinking about it and some feeling remains. This is more than I can say about a lot of other supposedly great stuff I watched and have all but forgotten about.

And then there is Hanusz... but Hanusz will introduce themselves.

An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.

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. An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.

. .

. An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.

I'll say it countless times: Adam Sandler is a good actor, even a great one. When refocusing from raunchy buddy comedies with his usual crew of 90's comedian friends, he finds projects that he can truly and unequivocally blossom. With these projects becoming more prevalent for the legendary star, it only made sense to make the lateral move into sci-fi.

Spaceman is something else. Soft around the edges, chillingly isolated, and moody to an almost uncomfortable degree, this film has a peculiarity that I can't quite put my finger on. Spaceman Jakub grapples with hardships that are equal parts relatable yet unimaginable. It's clear that he has been on this mission an agonizingly long time - literally floating in an emotional limbo that is ironically heavy. Aside from the harsh void, there is an internal vortex of pain, loneliness, and aimlessness that is heavy on Jakub's heart away from his partner, Lenka (Carey Mulligan). Denis Villeneuve's film Enemy comes to mind when we meet a large space spider (which Jakub names Hanus) voiced by Paul Dano, an English-speaking extraterrestrial who guides Jakub through his psyche, painstakingly examining what Jakub is truly after.

The darkness is a mirror emotion of interpersonal turmoil that exists in the claustrophic tin can they inhabit would be more effective if it didn't feel like the weirdest therapy session you can think of. The effect that is desired of us feels almost forced. However, this is made up for by stellar performances by the main cast. Believability and authenticity are the main ingredients of this unusual space oddyssey. This, combined with visuals that are breathtakingly beautiful, culminate into a third act that firmly holds your heart in a moment that intersects the beauty and vastness of a universe yet to be fully embraced.

Spaceman is not as complicated of a movie as it wants you to believe. Complexity of emotions and the pressures of Jakub's world almost act as a smokescreen of feelings that at times feel artificial, but the strength of the drama and cresendo of internal exploration make up for this to create a film that reminds you of Adam Sandler's potential.

As far as entertaining sci-fi film goes, this one hits the nail on the head in many ways.

Adam Sandler coming out with another respectable performance since UncutGems, his appearance and mental health is something to be believed in the film.

The various camera/editing choices they decided to make emphasises the sense of uneasy-ness, something you can assume Sandler's character must feel during the film.

The connection between characters as well is one that may pull on heart strings. It certainly did for me!

However, this isn't by no means a blockbuster of a hit. Story wise it's not very original and reminded me of the films Ad Adstra and Interstellar. I'd also say the ending could have been cut shorter, but I suppose the alternative wouldn't have made much of a difference for a viewing.

Overall, it's a very dark, artistic sci-fi film, that often leaves you questioning what's real and what isn't.

I understand that a lot of people probably rated this low because they saw that it starred Adam Sandler and came into it expecting Happy Gilmore. I did not. I am a sci-fi enthusiast, and I cut my teeth on some of the great, old masterpieces of the '50s and '60s -- many of them by Czech authors, just like this one was! These novels and films were ones that modern audiences might see as "dry" these days, but they were hard-core sci-fi that packed an emotional punch while telling a story of speculative fiction -- a world that "advanced the timeline" from our own to see how the human psyche, human morality, human frailty, would cope with advances in technology. And that's exactly what we have here -- a Czech astronaut put in an extraordinary circumstance, even fantastical by the standards of our "real world." And yet, the actual story isn't fantastical at all -- it's a simple question of the human heart, and the meaning of life. In that way, it's not so different from a one-act, heavy-dialogue drama... but by framing it as a science fiction film, we can strip out any modern-day distractions and just focus on human nature in its purest form.

And maybe enjoy Paul Dano's absolutely riveting performance as a giant arachnid alien!

This is a must-see for any lover of "pure" sci-fi or "old-school" sci-fi. 8/10.