Spaceman: Eine kurze Geschichte der böhmischen Raumfahrt

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.

I've seen this movie before; it's called Ad Astra. Ambitious, but emotionally absent(and inconsiderate, I guess) husband leaves perfect wife behind to go on vital space mission. In both movies, the man is plagued by memories of a deeply flawed father, leaving them emotionally scarred and unable to reciprocate their perfect wives' love.

While in Ad Astra, Brad Pitt's character discovers his shortcomings pieces at a time: though memory, experience, and various encounters - here, they forgo all nuance. We simply have a spider companion who directly and endlessly tells Adam Sandler what an ass he is to his wife. But both movies share one emotional theme: fathers suck and their sons are not much better. Relationships are all about men needing to open up more. This is not so bad by itself. But I've seen this in so many movies and TV shows by now it's starting to get tiresome. With all the fancy camera-work, heavy performances, and ambient music, this story still just beats you over the head with it's message without offering anything other than an overused cliché.

Other movies in the past have a truly more nuanced approach. Try Solaris(either version), for example. I appreciate the production of this film, really. It's just that this come off as a feminist fantasy rather than good science fiction.

Anticipating the release of 'Spaceman' with high hopes, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film exceeded my expectations. It delves into the profound theme of loneliness and the lengths one must traverse to truly understand solitude. Through the lens of trauma, the film showcases the shattering effect it can have on an individual, compelling them to flee from confronting their own reality. The protagonist's journey is accompanied by the enigmatic presence of an alien spider, a tangible entity rather than a mere figment of imagination as some might assume. In the book, this spider is portrayed as undeniably real. The evolving relationship between the protagonist and the spider serves as a catalyst, propelling them both towards a transformative journey, not towards an end, but rather a new beginning.

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.