Clara - Um Amor Além do Universo

Wow, where to start.....

This is one of those movies that has so many layers to it's story, that all pieces together finely to make one, great piece of film making. Now I'm no expert reviewer, or even amateur scientist, but I'll do my best to explain this one.

Isaac Bruno is a scientist obsessed with finding a new planet, with the potential to harbour life, around distant stars. But he's a troubled man, having to deal with a very recent loss in his life, which greatly affects his work and career. Enter Clara, who agrees to be his unpaid research assistant, but has a very unscientific way of explaining her view of the universe. Together, when new data is released following the launch of a new space telescope, they attempt to find the elusive planet, whilst helping each other to deal with more earthly problems.

The relationship side of the story between Bruno and Clara, never becomes boring. The characters are so well played by the two lead actors, that you actually end up caring for their lives and situations, something that is rarely achieved in many movies nowadays. And their story is so well intertwined with the main plot.

The science behind the planet searching is explained in a way that doesn't treat you like an idiot (even one like me!!), so even those not used to this kind of movie should at least grasp the basics, and it certainly doesn't distract ones attention from the story.

We seem to be bombarded nowadays with so many sci-fi movies about alien invasions and superhero daring do, that movies like this seem to get lost in the ether. Indeed I don't remember this movie getting a cinematic release in the UK (but I could be wrong there). And that's a real shame because this is probably (in my opinion), one of the best "thinking mans" sci-fi movies out there.

If movies like Aliens, Independence Day or Predator, are your thing, then you will want to avoid this one. If, however you prefer the likes of Contact, 2001 etc, then this movie is an absolute must.

OK, it's not profound, and you, like me, may well guess the ending before it arrives. But I still shed a tear of loss and joy at the end. I think the sci-fi is incidental to the story of human relationships. If you can overlook the worn and tired cliches, there is something to enjoy...... if you can summon the patience to see it through to the end. There's a lot of K-Pax here, maybe to the point of plagiarism, but I still enjoyed it.

I got to see this film at an advance screening ahead of general cineplex release, in a small but dedicated audience who came out on a windy subzero Thursday night. I happily recommend it. The storyline is built on the modern search for Earth-like planets and evidence for life elsewhere in the universe, and the most important thing I want to say is that the science (the astronomy part especially) is real, credible, and gripping. The storyline is clever, the acting is good, and it's engaging from start to finish. We know from the start that a 'discovery' is going to come along, one way or another, and the way it emerges is really nice -- a quite clever twist on what we might have expected. No spoilers, because it's worth seeing for the way it resolves. The director and writer, Akash Sherman, had the basics for the story in place right from the start, but he also had the sense to hire a couple of legitimate science consultants to nail it all down. So the script (mostly) isn't built on "junk science" like most scifi films do (although the use of ideas from "quantum entanglement", which is increasingly popular these days, also has an important role but turns out to be a bit of a stretch).

The way this kind of science is done is also on the money, even if understandably overdramatized just a little. The plot develops just like most real science does: it's both competitive (who's going to "get there" first?? are our heroes going to get scooped by someone else?) and cooperative (many people have to combine their expertise and resources to finish the project). The leading pair are Isaac (Patrick J. Adams) and Clara (Troian Bellisario) but as things develop they get help from Isaac's professional friend Charlie (Ennis Esmer), his former wife and colleague Rebecca (Kristen Hager), and eventually the senior director of TESS, Dr. Rickman (R. H. Thomson). Though Isaac is the leader, all of them quite properly share the credit at the end. The facilities that are part of the proceedings including the Kepler and TESS telescopes, CalTech, U.Toronto, and SETI, are also quite real.

Even in big-budget market-driven Hollywood there are a few good movies based on real astrophysics -- think Contact (1997), Interstellar (2014), or Arrival (2016) for example. They used the right consultants too. The difference between those films and "Clara" is more a matter of tone and scale -- in an indie film it's less necessary to jack up the tension, drama, and big effects and so it can feel more realistic. And it does. The whole process of research, of following a key idea step by step through getting more and better measurements, interpreting them, and moving on to the next stage, are a little oversimplified but they look and feel real, and they don't tax the audience's patience. The actual Discovery Moments aren't big screen-melting "Eureka!!!" deals either; they're lower-key "hmm, that's odd --" kinds of events that are actually just as dramatic but far more real.

Another important thing: scientists like the protagonist, Isaac Bruno, do research because they are flat-out curiosity driven. They're not doing this for glory or riches. They're doing this because that's who they are. This movie shows that curiosity is a fundamental human driver that can actually compete successfully (as we see) against other basic human drivers like food, sleep, sex, shelter -- you name it. Of the big-budget films that follow the same lines I'd place this one closest to Contact.

The cast is just fine and the two young lead actors Adams and Bellisario are quite good. I'd be happy to see them again in other things. Though the planet-hunting is the scaffolding for the storyline, it's really supposed to be a love story with a very human cycle of awkward engagement, joy, regret, and commitment with no fairy-tale ending. Once again, all of this steers away from Hollywood-style Big Moments. Isaac needs to get fully beyond his recent past history of pain and loss, and Clara has to come to terms with being an unwitting (and probably unwilling) conduit for a Message. My thought is that Clara isn't given a last name because of her somewhat mythic place in the plot, but see what you think when you watch it.

Mind meets heart. You could argue that one is better than the other. And that might be true for certain things - for other things maybe not so much. One thing is sure: they work best together. If you find the balance ... you win - even if you lose. Although lose may be too big a word. And win may not be exactly right.

We have a love story here - but also a story of two individuals who try to prove something. Mostly to others - at least it appears so. Because actually they try to prove something to themselves. And both alone cannot achieve that - but together: they actually can.

Some really fine dialog here and some really heartbreaking dramatic moments too. Central performances are more than decent and the movie has some other ideas to share with you too. For some it may be a bit too much (it could have focused on one thing, like the science part or the love part), but I think it does walk the line quite nicely. And maybe you can believe too ... if you suspend your disbelief that is.

I'm a Sci-fi fan as well as an Astrophile. The movie got me hooked from the start, with a storyline anyone in Astrophysics knows and can relate to. It might easily be my favorite Sci-fi after The Martian.