Here's a little spoiler that will help The Midnight Sky go down easier: The only real mystery is that there is no mystery. It’s been three weeks after The Event of the year 2049. 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. The director and star may perfectly capture the mood of existential dread, … It’s getting scary. He decides to stay behind after his station evacuates because of a planetary crisis. Kevin Crust. Space itself is too unknown, too incomprehensible to completely absorb through a screen. Reviews The Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney Returns to Space in Netflix Movie. She tells her lover that he should have known by now that she is not a lady built stay in one place. 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” is a waking dream that keeps you in its grips. Just as Suburbicon took on racism and The Ides Of March had things to say about the American political … Peter Bradshaw's film of the week Film The Midnight Sky review – beardy George Clooney marooned in bland cosmic yarn Clooney desperately tries to … 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. Sure, she’s mostly a device to give his character something greater to fight for, but they have a silent relationship that works. Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. At the film’s most entertaining heights, it … review the midnight sky Running time: 122 minutes. The latest case in point: “The Midnight Sky,” starring — and directed by — George Clooney. MPAA Rating: PG-13. The Midnight Sky received some praise for its “ambition and emotional tone,” though was compared unfavorably to other sci-fi films. 04 Jan,2021 17:36:47. George Clooney and Caoilinn Springall in the movie "The Midnight Sky." The Midnight Sky: Another Review – The best space films tell us more about ourselves than anything else. “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 … It’s as hollow as can be. Review: In 'The Midnight Sky,' a grizzled George Clooney considers the end of the world. 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. Worst of all, Clooney can’t stick with a thread long enough to build tension or drama. '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. 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 Midnight Sky is a big swing from Clooney. With George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall. 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) [Full Review in Spanish] Her partner Tom (David Oyelowo) is the Commander of the ship, which also includes Maya (Tiffany Boone), Sanchez (Demian Bichir), and Mitchell (Kyle Chandler). It’s as weightless as space. However, it actively tugs at our heartstrings by using interweaving more than a few non-public struggles into the narrative. It sounds great. It has no oxygen and no heartbeat. Most critics praise Clooney for his performance and visual style as a filmmaker, but … 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. The Midnight Sky Review. 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. Throughout most of its … Unfortunately this movie does not deliver. 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 Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney acts in and directs this poignant film, The Midnight Sky, that is based on a book. 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. The Midnight Sky is streaming on Netflix and, according to their rating system is rated PG-13. 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. And he has to do so accompanied by a mute girl named Iris (Caoilinn Springall), who happened to be left behind during the evacuation. 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." Posted by Maria Lattila Published . Rated PG-13 (some bloody images and brief strong language). On paper The Midnight Sky seems like a film I would absolutely love. Chicago Tribune. 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 Midnight Sky’: Review (Netflix) By Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic 2020-12-09T13:59:00+00:00 George Clooney delivers a contemplative film … But the Netflix original movie is very lacking in, well, basically everything. According to her she flipped her hair backwards and was ready for the consequences of any mistake she was about to make. The Midnight Sky review – George Clooney's post-apocalyptic thriller. ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: George Clooney Directs and Stars in an Epic but Sodden Dystopian Drama Reviewed online, Dec. 3, 2020. All of the other films mentioned in this review that clearly inspired this one never lost their characters. Rating: ** George Clooney is one of the most important voices of Hollywood.What he does has a huge … In one, a dying, grey-bearded Clooney evokes a combination of human frailty and save-the-species determination. In one, a dying, grey-bearded Clooney evokes a combination of human frailty and … Running time: 118 MIN. “The Midnight Sky,” directed by and starring George Clooney, is no different. Unlike many of … The Midnight Sky’s story comes from the best selling book from author Lily Brooks-Dalton. The two parallel storylines do have some interest. Sign me up! 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 … There are hints of the movie that could have been. 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. 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. George Clooney is one of the most prolific actors turned directors of his generation, or any generation for that matter. 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 … Even in a pandemic, New York City's Museum of Modern Art found time to celebrate George Clooney as actor, director and humanitarian. 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 … At the same time, Sully (Felicity Jones) is one of … Also is that a “Blade Runner 2049” reference? By Ian Sandwell. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney's Netflix movie is ambitious and emotional It's the end of the world as we know it. The Midnight Sky (Netflix) Starring George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall. A lot of problems would be solved if movies weren’t obligated to be full-length. 4 minute read. 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. It never says what happened, but it seems that radiation has made most of … The Midnight Sky Review: George Clooney's Ambitious Sci-Fi Epic Fails to Resonate. 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. 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.". Updated 11:03 AM ET, Thu December 24, 2020. "The Midnight Sky" is spared from any pressure to light up the box-office sky on Netflix, and that's just as well. It’s been three weeks after The Event of the year 2049. (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. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 54% of 129 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. ‘The Midnight Sky’ review: On the ice, after the apocalypse, with George Clooney getting terrific direction from...George Clooney Image via Netflix. 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. It's not for lack of trying. (Although the film doesn’t have nearly enough quiet moments, thanks in part to an aggressive score by Alexandre Desplat.) Read full article. The Midnight Sky review – George Clooney's post-apocalyptic thriller Clooney directs and stars in this big-budget sci-fi drama about a … ‘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. 23/12/2020 Two … 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. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney's Netflix movie is ambitious and emotional . 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… 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. There are many good things to be said for it. The Midnight Sky Movie Critical Reception. 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. The Midnight Sky review: George Clooney’s sci-fi is saved by the baby bump. A terminally ill scientist tries to warn a returning spaceship of a cataclysmic event on Earth in The Midnight Sky. 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. Miley Cyrus Midnight Sky Review. By Rex Reed • 01/05/21 1:30pm. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/arts/the-midnight-sky-review.html 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. In this review of The Midnight Sky I will explain if I think it is worth a watch or not. 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. Is there anything that this man cannot do? The story starts as a mass … 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. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 52% of 223 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. 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). But this is a … 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 The Midnight Sky received some praise for its "ambition and emotional tone," though was compared unfavorably to other science fiction films. By Don Kaye | … On Netflix. Review ‘The Midnight Sky’ Serves Up a Bleak, Dull Sci-Fi Future. 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. 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. By Michael Phillips. In theaters Friday, and available on Netflix on December 23. (CNN)George Clooney takes his biggest directorial swing yet with "The Midnight Sky," and comes away with a decidedly mixed result. Clooney develops a quick and effective chemistry with Springall. The Midnight Sky was released in select theaters December 11 and starts streaming December 23 on Netflix. 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. I listened to both the pod & the song (several times) this morning and enjoyed 'em the whole way through. The Midnight Sky review When The Midnight Sky starts, the end of the world has already begun. 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. 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. 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 … Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and … His wicked sense of mischief is also a bonus. ‘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 A man alone, with a quarantine beard, sits and eats a plateful of whatever he probably ate the day before. The two parallel storylines do have some interest. Review: ‘The Midnight Sky’ (space wheat) The polar opposite of Melancholia. There are also formidable challenges facing the explorers, with a crew that includes Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone. 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. 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. “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). 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. Author: Subhash K Jha. 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%. 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. Topics: Entertainment , movie review , netflix All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. (Tom Hanks also plays opposite a child in "News of the World," so there must be something in the water.). Review: ‘The Midnight Sky’ (space wheat) The polar opposite of Melancholia. 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. A beyond-bleak post-apocalyptic thriller, the sci-fi film reaches a reasonably satisfying finish, but follows an uneven orbit in getting there. December 22, 2020, 5:42 PM. 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