Just as Suburbicon took on racism and The Ides Of March had things to say about the American political … https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/arts/the-midnight-sky-review.html But the Netflix original movie is very lacking in, well, basically everything. Posted by Maria Lattila Published . MPAA Rating: PG-13. George Clooney tackles his most ambitious film yet as director with The Midnight Sky. The problem is that his signal isn’t strong enough to communicate with the Aether before it’s too late, and so he has to traverse the Arctic to get to a stronger one. [Full Review in Spanish] … On paper The Midnight Sky seems like a film I would absolutely love. George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in “The Midnight Sky.” Photo: Philippe Antonello. Sure, she’s mostly a device to give his character something greater to fight for, but they have a silent relationship that works. ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: George Clooney Directs and Stars in an Epic but Sodden Dystopian Drama He plays an isolated Arctic researcher trying to … I listened to both the pod & the song (several times) this morning and enjoyed 'em the whole way through. In fact, for roughly 115 of its 120 minutes, I was settled into a B- review, ready to call it a fun, if wildly derivative and forgettable, melding of hard sci-fi tropes with post-apocalyptic nightmares. The Midnight Sky Review. Chicago Tribune. Still, Augustine has one task left to perform: Warning a spaceship with a diverse crew of astronauts from returning to a dying planet, but rather hoping to divert them, after a deep-space mission that might have provided hope of a habitable planet upon which they could take refuge. Here's a little spoiler that will help The Midnight Sky go down easier: The only real mystery is that there is no mystery. There are also formidable challenges facing the explorers, with a crew that includes Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone. In one, a dying, grey-bearded Clooney evokes a combination of human frailty and … By Ian Sandwell. At all. It’s as weightless as space. Image via Netflix. “The Midnight Sky” is a waking dream that keeps you in its grips. Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. It's not for lack of trying. It may be the unique circumstances in which we are living, but it feels like every movie released in 2020 turns out to be about subsistence. We don’t feel Augustine’s commitment or drive because we’re constantly jumping to the tedious characters on the Aether or, much worse, to flashbacks that serve no emotional or character purpose until a final-act twist is revealed. George Clooney's 'The Midnight Sky' is a dystopian drama whose fluctuating tone — grim, with flickers of hopeful sentiment — feels almost comfortingly familiar, if a little on the nose for 2020. Rated PG-13 (some bloody images and brief strong language). The heart of this movie just isn’t there. The Midnight Sky Review Based On A Book. George Clooney directs and heads the cast of Netflix's postapocalyptic sci-fi survival drama about the environmental collapse of Earth and new hope for humanity in space, 'The Midnight Sky… Most of the time, “The Midnight Sky” drifts like space debris between its three settings—shuttle, Arctic, flashbacks—instead of feeling like it's building momentum. The story starts as a mass … Even if you can see one or both of the two major twists coming, it’s an … Adapted by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant ”) from Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel … It’s like Clooney the director was so concerned about adequately conveying the details of each part of his story that he never broke down the meaning of them or the characters involved. (Netflix) It may be the unique circumstances in which we are living, but it feels like every movie released in 2020 turns out to be about subsistence. The scenes set in space are expertly designed, and shot well by Martin Ruhe, but they feel entirely devoid of human emotion (until the final act manipulatively calls for it). The Midnight Sky received some praise for its “ambition and emotional tone,” though was compared unfavorably to other sci-fi films. Despite its beautiful cinematography and score, The Midnight Sky is a disjointed sci-fi saga that borrows many elements from similar stories. The second verse has Miley talk about her behavior the night the breakup happened. According to her she flipped her hair backwards and was ready for the consequences of any mistake she was about to make. The two parallel storylines do have some interest. CW Reboots Walker but Forgets to Give Him a Personality, Something as Extraordinary as Birth Itself: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber on Pieces of a Woman, 10 Upcoming Films That Could Shake Up Oscar Season, Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge, Eli Goree, and Kingsley Ben-Adir on the Brotherhood of One Night in Miami. His wicked sense of mischief is also a bonus. “The Midnight Sky” cuts between Iris and Augustine’s harrowing journey and the return voyage of the shuttle, led by a pregnant Sully Rembshire (Felicity Jones). Films such as The Ides of March and Good Night and Good Luck established him as a director with a good eye for visuals but also with a gift to nurture talent and draw great performances … The Midnight Sky is now streaming on Netflix. The Midnight Sky review When The Midnight Sky starts, the end of the world has already begun. ‘The Midnight Sky’ review: George Clooney sci-fi epic is grand but could be bolder 3 As a director, Clooney is able to summon moments of overpowering wonder The Midnight Sky Review Synopsis And Ending Explained At first glance, it may also appear as even though ‘The Midnight Sky’ is virtually every other apocalyptic drama that explores the plight of the human race. Clooney directs and stars in this big-budget sci-fi drama about a man braving a radioactive ice storm with a child in his care Matt Fowler reviewed this movie via … Review: Clooney strikes gold again with ‘Midnight Sky’ Clooney’s filmmaking is unrushed, poetic and elegant, admiring beauty in its extremes Movie Review: 'Midnight Sky,' Clooney's finest hour. There’s something so sterile and antiseptic about the space half of this film that it can’t maintain viewer interest or sympathy beyond a filmmaking exercise. 4 minute read. Just being able to pick apart these references doesn’t inherently make “The Midnight Sky” a misfire, but what’s startling is how little is left to chew on after considering the better films brought back to memory by these superficial callbacks. It’s been three weeks after The Event of the year 2049. Sci-Fi genre, talented group of actors, and a huge twist ending? Unfortunately this movie does not deliver. … "The Midnight Sky" is spared from any pressure to light up the box-office sky on Netflix, and that's just as well. The stuff in the Arctic is more effective and admittedly technically impressive, although the plot begins to make less and less sense—a scene in which Augustine crashes through ice and would almost certainly die from the hypothermia or shock breaks any sense of realism that had been tenuously achieved. (Tom Hanks also plays opposite a child in "News of the World," so there must be something in the water.). Because while Clooney has delivered a sobering and thoughtful film, dramatically speaking the story -- a bit like Clooney's taciturn scientist -- feels confined in a prison of its own making. It’s getting scary. (Remember when apocalyptic movies were further in the future? Author: Subhash K Jha. A dying man trudges across a dying planet in George Clooney ’s ambitious sci-fi epic for Netflix, “The Midnight Sky.” Based on the book by Lily Brooks-Dalton, this is a piece that almost feels designed by a screenwriting algorithm informed by some of … His weary face and physical motions reflect the potential futility of the near … The Midnight Sky is a film that tries to be epic but doesn't quite spend enough time with any of its characters to generate sufficient emotion. Review: In ‘The Midnight Sky,’ a grizzled George Clooney considers the end of the world George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in the movie “The Midnight Sky.” (Netflix) It’s been three weeks after The Event of the year 2049. In this review of The Midnight Sky I will explain if I think it is worth a watch or not. Clooney established early on with "Good Night, and Good Luck" that he was a serious filmmaker, as opposed to a dabbling movie star, and he has taken chances with projects of questionable commercial viability, a la the off-kilter "Suburbicon" and "The Monuments Men.". Rating: C-I’ve never quite had an experience with a movie like I did with The Midnight Sky.For a good majority of the film, I quite enjoyed myself. The Midnight Sky is a film that tries to be epic but doesn't quite spend enough time with any of its characters to generate sufficient emotion. She tells her lover that he should have known by now that she is not a lady built stay in one place. The Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney acts in and directs this poignant film, The Midnight Sky, that is based on a book. Directed by George Clooney. Running time: 118 MIN. The Midnight Sky’s story comes from the best selling book from author Lily Brooks-Dalton. On Netflix. Augustine (George Clooney) is the sole occupant of an abandoned Arctic base, his time spent enduring periodic mechanized blood treatments to … A beyond-bleak post-apocalyptic thriller, the sci-fi film reaches a reasonably satisfying finish, but follows an uneven orbit in getting there. George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in The Midnight Sky… Reviews The Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney Returns to Space in Netflix Movie. It's the end of the world as we know it. In one, a dying, grey-bearded Clooney evokes a combination of human frailty and save-the-species determination. Her partner Tom (David Oyelowo) is the Commander of the ship, which also includes Maya (Tiffany Boone), Sanchez (Demian Bichir), and Mitchell (Kyle Chandler). Review ‘The Midnight Sky’ Serves Up a Bleak, Dull Sci-Fi Future. Directed by George Clooney. Mixed feelings, because The Midnight Sky is a fine, diverting film until that point, reasonably thoughtful, pleasing to Clooney’s fans, a solid watch for genre aficionados. All of the other films mentioned in this review that clearly inspired this one never lost their characters. The Midnight Sky received some praise for its "ambition and emotional tone," though was compared unfavorably to other science fiction films. Augustine discovers that there’s a space shuttle named Aether on its way to a home that isn’t habitable anymore, and so he makes it his mission to warn them to turn around and go back to the planet they were already scouting to take the future of the human race. Also is that a “Blade Runner 2049” reference? Adapted from Lily Brooks-Dalton's book "Good Morning, Midnight" by writer Mark L. Smith ("The Revenant"), the film oscillates between the astronauts and Augustine, while fleshing out details about his character through a series of flashbacks. ‘The Midnight Sky’: Review (Netflix) By Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic 2020-12-09T13:59:00+00:00 George Clooney delivers a contemplative film … Clooney develops a quick and effective chemistry with Springall. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney's Netflix movie is ambitious and emotional It's the end of the world as we know it. At the same time, Sully (Felicity Jones) is one of … Review ‘The Midnight Sky’ Serves Up a Bleak, Dull Sci-Fi Future George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in The Midnight Sky. George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in the movie "The Midnight Sky." Even in a pandemic, New York City's Museum of Modern Art found time to celebrate George Clooney as actor, director and humanitarian. While this makes for an inherently interesting premise—reversing the traditional space narratives of films like “Apollo 13” or “Gravity” while crafting what’s basically an ‘anti-rescue’ mission on the ground—Clooney never finds the stakes for the space half of his movie. By Don Kaye | … (CNN)George Clooney takes his biggest directorial swing yet with "The Midnight Sky," and comes away with a decidedly mixed result. The Midnight Sky movie cast: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Spingall, Kyle Chandler The Midnight Sky movie director: George Clooney The Midnight Sky movie rating: Two stars As if we weren’t already looking at a bleak end to 2020 comes along a film where the world is 29 years from hence, humanity is endangered due to contaminated air, the … He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Space itself is too unknown, too incomprehensible to completely absorb through a screen. George Clooney's 'Midnight Sky' looks for hope. The Midnight Sky (Netflix) Starring George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall. In theaters Friday, and available on Netflix on December 23. The Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney's Ambitious Sci-Fi Epic Fails to Resonate. 23/12/2020 Two … A lot of problems would be solved if movies weren’t obligated to be full-length. The latest case in point: “The Midnight Sky,” starring — and directed by — George Clooney. 04 Jan,2021 17:36:47. A dying man trudges across a dying planet in George Clooney’s ambitious sci-fi epic for Netflix, “The Midnight Sky.” Based on the book by Lily Brooks-Dalton, this is a piece that almost feels designed by a screenwriting algorithm informed by some of the top genre films of the last couple decades. Barring one pretty dramatic space-faring action sequence, "The Midnight Sky" moves along somewhat listlessly, especially during the earth-bound sequences involving Clooney and the young girl (Caoilinn Springall) who becomes his companion. “The Midnight Sky,” directed by and starring George Clooney, is no different. Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and … Review of The Midnight Sky . ‘The Midnight Sky’ review: On the ice, after the apocalypse, with George Clooney getting terrific direction from...George Clooney George Clooney's 'The Midnight Sky' is a dystopian drama whose fluctuating tone — grim, with flickers of hopeful sentiment — feels almost comfortingly familiar, if a little on the nose for 2020. Review: In 'The Midnight Sky,' a grizzled George Clooney considers the end of the world. The Midnight Sky falls into the genre of cerebral science fiction, a category more prone than most to aching boredom dressed up as chin-scratching Big Questions. There are hints of the movie that could have been. By Michael Phillips. For most of the film, Sully and her crew have no idea what’s happening back on Earth, so as they navigate the dangers of space in an effort to return to a home that has been destroyed. A man alone, with a quarantine beard, sits and eats a plateful of whatever he probably ate the day before. The Midnight Sky was released in select theaters December 11 and starts streaming December 23 on Netflix. Clooney the director seems to almost be fighting back against potential viewer investment, which makes the final act’s melodrama and twists feel all the more manipulative. The main difference is a prevailing sense of hopelessness that works as a drag against the drama. George Clooney is one of the most prolific actors turned directors of his generation, or any generation for that matter. ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: It’s the End of the World, in the Arctic George Clooney takes on his biggest challenge, as both actor and director, yet: Saving humanity itself. The actor-director's filmography has exhibited an interest in end-of-the-world scenarios -- including producing and starring in a remake of "Fail Safe" for CBS -- and he's back in that territory here. George Clooney's 'Midnight Sky' looks for hope 01:32 (CNN) George Clooney takes his biggest directorial swing yet with "The Midnight Sky," and comes away with a decidedly mixed result. There are many good things to be said for it. ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: George Clooney Directs and Stars in an Epic but Sodden Dystopian Drama Reviewed online, Dec. 3, 2020. It never says what happened, but it seems that radiation has made most of … It’s as hollow as can be. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney’s space drama is beautiful but generic . Now, I haven’t read the book, so I can’t comment on the liberties or closeness to the source material. He’s a welcome presence in his first on-screen performance since 2016, but Clooney’s direction is as a cold as the landscape his character travels, never once finding anything that feels organic or character-driven. George Clooney! Rating: ** George Clooney is one of the most important voices of Hollywood.What he does has a huge … Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 54% of 129 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. It is too long, too slow, and has absolutely no character development. So it goes with “The Midnight Sky,” a good-up-to-a-point science-fiction film directed by and starring George Clooney. This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to … The Midnight Sky Movie Critical Reception. The Midnight Sky isn’t boring – I found it both gripping and profoundly moving – though be aware that despite the end of the world, its action is localised and intermittent (and a happy ending is relative when everyone … The two parallel storylines do have some interest. Unlike many of … However, it actively tugs at our heartstrings by using interweaving more than a few non-public struggles into the narrative. Some of the space action stuff works, including a big “Gravity”-inspired space repair sequence that probably will be more effective in theaters than for people who watch Netflix on their phone. A terminally ill scientist tries to warn a returning spaceship of a cataclysmic event on Earth in The Midnight Sky. You can see all sides of Clooney in "The Midnight Sky… The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney’s sci-fi is saved by the baby bump. Miley Cyrus Midnight Sky Review. The Midnight Sky is streaming on Netflix and, according to their rating system is rated PG-13. Topics: Entertainment , movie review , netflix All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. Probably not but given the familiarity of the rest of the movie anything is possible.) Aside from being one of the world’s most handsome men (yes apparently there actually is an award for that) and an Oscar winning actor Clooney is also a seasoned a film director. The worst of the genre tells us nothing, and for all it’s staggering beauty, and a handful of poignant moments, George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky” tells us nothing, … The Midnight Sky: Another Review – The best space films tell us more about ourselves than anything else. (Although the film doesn’t have nearly enough quiet moments, thanks in part to an aggressive score by Alexandre Desplat.) Review: ‘The Midnight Sky’ (space wheat) The polar opposite of Melancholia. Augustine (George Clooney) is the sole occupant of an abandoned Arctic base, his time spent enduring periodic mechanized blood treatments to keep a terminal illness at bay. 'The Midnight Sky' review: George Clooney's film finds its heart in its actors WATCH: Top 10 movies of 2020 (so far) By Peter Travers. review the midnight sky Running time: 122 minutes. Kevin Crust. Set in 2049, the movie begins three weeks after an unspecified "event" that will spell mankind's doom, with Clooney's Augustine -- situated at an outpost in the Arctic -- still alive, but for how long no one knows. Sign me up! At the film’s most entertaining heights, it … December 22, 2020, 5:42 PM. Review: ‘The Midnight Sky’ (space wheat) The polar opposite of Melancholia. The director and star may perfectly capture the mood of existential dread, … This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe. And he has to do so accompanied by a mute girl named Iris (Caoilinn Springall), who happened to be left behind during the evacuation. The Midnight Sky review – George Clooney's post-apocalyptic thriller. Is there anything that this man cannot do? Clooney plays the incredibly named Augustine Lofthouse, a scientist at the end of the world. The Midnight Sky is now on Netflix. The major issue seems to be the storytelling approach, most notably the sentimental aspect that overrides the science fiction element. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 52% of 223 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. Not too many details are given, but Brooks-Dalton, writer Mark L. Smith, and Clooney are clearly suggesting our planet doesn’t have much time left, setting a film about climate catastrophe in 2049. The premise is bleak and the sledding (literally, when Augustine realizes he needs to reach another location to contact them) arduous. Perhaps inevitably, the film bears a resemblance to other recent space-set fare, including a film in which Clooney co-starred, "Gravity," and Christopher Nolan's cerebral "Interstellar." With George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall. The recipe here is a base of “Gravity” (which Clooney himself has referenced as an influence, along with “The Revenant”), a bit of “The Road,” a dash of “Interstellar,” a shot of “Ad Astra,” a scoop of “The Martian,” and a pinch of “Children of Men” for flavor. Updated 11:03 AM ET, Thu December 24, 2020. “Midnight” is “Martian” without the whizbang humor and optimism, so downbeat it’s like the saddest parts of “Gravity” and all of “Solaris.” And while Clooney & Co. make it watchable, it’s so derivative and over-familiar as to be akin to watching paint dry — richly-tinted, shiny acrylic paint, if … On top of all that the #DaddyGang added a new A-list member through Alex's fantastic interview with Miley Cyrus, and on the eve of the release of her new song, Midnight Sky, no less. Most critics praise Clooney for his performance and visual style as a filmmaker, but … Midnight Sky has less to show us, less of an experience to give us, than its dreary style, heavy tone, or plod-footed, serious pacing would suggest. The Midnight Sky review – George Clooney's post-apocalyptic thriller Clooney directs and stars in this big-budget sci-fi drama about a … It sounds great. It looks good. By Rex Reed • 01/05/21 1:30pm. George Clooney directs and heads the cast of Netflix's postapocalyptic sci-fi survival drama about the environmental collapse of Earth and new hope for humanity in space, 'The Midnight Sky… Midnight Run is also streaming on Netflix and is rated R-13 for violence and offensive language according to the NZ Film & Video Labelling Body. The Midnight Sky currently has a 53% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes (based on over 140 reviews), with the audience score being slightly lower at 41%. The Midnight Sky is a 2020 American science fiction film directed by George Clooney, based on the 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton.It stars Clooney as a scientist who must venture through the Arctic Circle to warn off a returning spaceship following a global catastrophe. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney's Netflix movie is ambitious and emotional . And while “The Midnight Sky” doesn’t have the thrill-a-minute quotient of some of the aforementioned films, it’s the most resonant and ambitious of the bunch, with breathtaking and sometimes haunting visuals, a bittersweet and melancholy and memorably human story, and a beautiful and heart-stopping finale. Peter Bradshaw's film of the week Film The Midnight Sky review – beardy George Clooney marooned in bland cosmic yarn Clooney desperately tries to … Worst of all, Clooney can’t stick with a thread long enough to build tension or drama. Read full article. “Midnight Sky” follows “Slide Away,” Cyrus’ grunge-y and urgent post-mortem on a rocky long-term relationship. The Midnight Sky is a big swing from Clooney. He decides to stay behind after his station evacuates because of a planetary crisis. Throughout most of its … But this is a … It has no oxygen and no heartbeat.