Ad Astra (2019)

Nominated for Best Sound Mixing    This one was kind of out of left field for me.  I vaguely remember when it came out but I heard nothing about it since last Spring.  I am sad to say that it is definitely not a hidden gem.

Roy (Brad Pitt) is chosen for a secret mission to investigate mysterious pulses of energy emanating from the outer edges of the solar system that are wreaking havoc on Earth.  His top secret briefing reveals that the pulses are thought to be an SOS from the Lima Project, a manned expedition to Neptune led by Roy's father (Tommy Lee Jones) that was believed to be lost.  It is hoped that Roy's personal connection to his estranged father will be enough to either rescue or distract the Lima crew from trying to blow up the Earth.

Daddy Issues...In Space!

This movie is so boring.  Brad Pitt is boring in it.  Tommy Lee Jones is boring.  They even made Ruth Negga boring.  The big "reveal" is boring.  It is predictability coated in angst pretending to be profound.  Not to be ageist, but Pitt is a little long in the tooth to pull off this kind of role anymore.  Plus, there's only 17 years difference between him and Jones, which means Jones' character had to have been extremely precocious to be an established astronaut with a doctorate and a wife before Pitt came along.  Maybe if a younger actor had been cast, it might have made more sense for the character to navel-gaze so long.

The sound effects are quite good, however.  Not as good as First Man, which got fucking robbed in the sound categories, but still good.  The cinematography and visual effects are also excellent, especially the space scenes, which makes sense because the director of photography, Hoyte Van Hoytema, also did Interstellar.  He is definitely a cinematographer to look for in the future.  If you decide to skip this, you won't be missing much.  It's the kind of movie you put on in the background while you nap on the couch on a Sunday afternoon.