It has now been six months since Jakub has led a perilous solo mission light years from Earth. Its destination: a mysterious nebula that appeared in the earth’s sky four years earlier. Added to the weight of loneliness for Jakub is the radio silence of Lenka, his partner. However, when he comes face to face with a giant spider that has taken up residence in his ship, Jakub begins to doubt his reason. A hallucination? Never mind: between the astronaut and the unusual stowaway, a dialogue begins, initially cautious, then marked by friendship. A funny thing, frustrating but interesting, that this Spaceman (VF), with an inward-looking Adam Sandler.
To some extent, this cosmic psychoanalysis could arise from a cross between 2001: A Space Odyssey (2001 a space odyssey), by Stanley Kubrick, and enemy (Enemy), by Denis Villeneuve.
Unveiled these days at the Berlinale, Spaceman is based on a novel by Jaroslav Kalfař published in 2017. Colby Day pens the screenplay, his first for a feature film, and Johan Renck directs. For the record, Renck mainly worked on TV, on various episodes of series like breaking Bad And The Walking Dead. More recently, his work on the hard-hitting series Chernobylof which he directed all 5 episodes, earned him awards and praise.
Hence the astonishment at the artistic choices of the director for Spaceman which, far from offering an innovative or just daring approach, opts for a pretty but hollow exercise in style. In other words, visually speaking, it is “in the manner of”. From whom?
The mention of the films of Kubrick and Villeneuve was semi-serious. In fact, the main influence of Spaceman is obviously Solaris, by Andrei Tarkovsky, from the retrofuturist Soviet style to the way of illustrating the romantic torments to which the protagonist is prey. Here, however, the metaphysical inclinations are of a purely superficial nature.
Nevertheless, it is very beautiful — already seen, but very beautiful. What’s more, the excellent special effects, from the most subtle to the most spectacular, promote immersion.
The right to dream
In the title role, Adam Sandler reveals his usual restraint: a touching and natural performance. Same for Carrey Mulligan, who plays Lenka. Pregnant, Lenka is also grappling with her own matrimonial and existential questions.
The stars of Uncut Gems (Rough diamond), the Safdie brothers, and Promising Young Woman (A young woman full of promise), by Emerald Fennell, have some good lines to sink your teeth into. For example, when Jakub asserts that he has “the right to dream”, Lenka retorts: “The problem is that when you dream, you go away. »
Moreover, if the terrestrial segments anchored to Lenka’s perspective are not always harmoniously integrated into the scenario, Carrey Mulligan convinces and captivates each time she appears on screen.
Without forgetting, in the original version, Paul Dano, seen in The Faibelmans (The Faibelmans), by Steven Spielberg, and Dumb Money (Stupidly rich), by Craig Gillespie, who lends his soft voice to Hanuš, the alien spider. Ultimately, the relationship that develops between this exiled being and the lonely astronaut reveals itself, strangely, to be even more touching than the love affair.