#themidnightsky

[raurquiz]

#happybirthday @ethangpeck #ethangpeck #actor #spock #startrekdiscovery #shorttreks #strangenewworlds #That70sShow #InTime #thesorcerersapprentice #10thingsihateaboutyou #madamsecretary #gossipgirl #theholidaycalendar #pennydreadful #cityofangels #themidnightsky #startrek59

[ikeastuffontv]

When George Clooney is the last man on earth... he will still shop at IKEA.

[doohicky]

Too uplifting for The Road and too bleak for Armageddon - The Midnight Sky (the (un)sweet spot) #themidnightsky #georgeclooney #netflix https://www.instagram.com/p/CJuk6mHFjHe/?utm_medium=tumblr

[colettesvalentines]

Good news! It's on Netflix after all!! #TheMidnightsky #Georgeclooney #Netflix https://www.instagram.com/p/CQO8OmXL2Gk/?utm_medium=tumblr

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Midnight Sky (2020)

The Midnight Sky may be well-acted but the execution is off. This movie allocates its attention to the wrong characters too often, making it difficult to care about what’s going on.

In 2049, scientist Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) decides to stay behind while humanity leaves Earth for a new home. As the crew of the exploration vessel Aether approaches - unaware of what's happened while they were away - he must find a way to warn them while battling his worsening terminal condition and taking care of a young girl left behind (Caoilinn Springall).

You can see how The Midnight Sky would work as a book. Augustine’s life is coming to an end and being the last man on Earth offers plenty of time to reminisce. He regrets letting Jean Sullivan (Sophie Rundle) go, not started a family with her, and instead focusing his life on the search for a new habitable world… but if he hadn’t, everyone would be dead. Now, nothing matters except for the ship and its crew, which include Commander Adewole (David Oyelowo), Dr. Sully (Felicity Jones), Mitchell (Kyle Chandler), Sanchez (Demián Bichir), and Maya (Tiffany Boone). Then, he discovers this little girl in the base. It’s both a meditation on his life, and a thriller as Augustine must find a way to save everyone.

That’s all good in theory. In practice, it doesn’t work. There’s no way Augustine is getting out of this story alive so while it’s good to know him in and out, there’s not much point. There would be if the movie spent less time with the crew of the Aether but then we would care even less about their survival than we do now. Some of them make decisions you just don’t understand, at all. Particularly towards the end, they seem unconcerned about survival, which clashes with Augustine’s story. They’d be more upset if the ice cream machine was broken. You’re supposed to wonder if they might provide Iris with an exit but you couldn’t care less if she dies. The girl has no dialogue and aside from one playful scene, she’s as endearing as the chilling darkness of space. You even resent her for being stupid enough to stay behind. She’s seven or eight, plenty old enough to follow basic instructions to "stay with your parents". There’s an obvious revelation about her during the last act. Even if you don’t figure it out immediately, you want her gone.

You can see what this movie could’ve been had it been successful. One crisis in space features terrific special effects and tension (too bad Stowaway did it better in 2021 and Gravity still trumps them both). The conclusion is nice and poetic, the performances are strong. The Midnight Sky is well put together, which means your faith in it will carry you through scenes that anywhere else would have you wondering where this thing is headed. It's too bad the screenplay focuses its attention on the wrong places so often. (May 26, 2021)

[awardseasonblog]

I recenti Visual Effects Society Awards hanno reso meno scontata la possibile vittoria di #Tenet agli #Oscar2021 nella categoria Migliori Effetti Speciali, dato che il film di Christopher Nolan è stato battuto dal team del film #TheMidnightSky di George Clooney proprio in una delle categorie chiave che solitamente anticipa il verdetto degli Oscar (la Visual Effects in a Photoreal). In questo scenario The Midnight Sky diventa ufficialmente il suo rivale, anche se Tenet resta il favorito dopo aver vinto non solo due premi cruciali come il Critics Choice Award e il Satellite Award, ma anche numerosi riconoscimenti da parte delle associazioni dei critici americani (Capri Hollywood Award, North Carolina Film Critics Association Award, San Diego Film Critics Society Award, Hawaii Film Critics Society Award, St. Louis Film Critics Association Award, Denver Film Critics Society Award, Houston Film Critics Society Award, Seattle Film Critics Society Award, Nevada Film Critics Society Award) A questo punto un "suggerimento" potrebbe essere fornito dai verdetti dei BAFTA dove viene rinnovata la sfida tra Tenet e The Midnight sky, inseguiti dagli altri due vincitori dei #VESAwards (#Mulan seguito da The One and Only Ivan) che potrebbero essere un'alternativa ai favoriti. Il quinto nominato è lo snobbato Greyhound, che è stato escluso a sorpresa dalle nominations agli Oscar per i migliori effetti speciali (al suo posto Love and Monsters) #FinalPredictions #OscarPredictions #Oscars2021 #AwardsSeason #Awards #Movies #BestVisualEffects #Previsioni #PrevisioniOscar #Oscar2021 #migliorieffettispeciali https://www.instagram.com/p/CNcNM6Ala7j/?igshid=130tpa7nlm2ho

[doomonfilm]

Review : The Midnight Sky (2020)

With everyone else making an attempt at dropping a Christmas blockbuster, why wouldn’t Netflix take a stab at it as well?  I missed the announcements about this one, but lots of my friends were excited at the speculation of a George Clooney film about the bleakness of space and the effects we will cause based on how we treat the Earth.  With all of that in mind, I strapped in during my holiday for a viewing of The Midnight Sky with anticipation for what it held in store. 

Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) is the last man on Earth in the wake of a global event that forced all inhabitants to seek shelter elsewhere in the Solar System.  Due to his previous studies prior to the event, a mission is returning from K-23, a moon of Jupiter that appears habitable, but Dr. “Sully” Sullivan (Felicity Jones), Commander Adewole (David Oyelowo) and the rest of his crew are unaware of the bleak circumstances awaiting them on Earth.  Meanwhile, Augustine realizes that he is not the only soul residing at the Arctic base he inhabits, as he discovers a young girl named Iris (Caoilinn Springall) has stowed away in the base.  While Augustine and Iris struggle against the elements to survive, the K-23 crew hurtles through uncertainty in hopes of returning to a home they do not realize is no longer there.

Netflix seems to be establishing a bit of a pattern with their films that is similar to one I see with first time writers or directors, which is a bit of an “everything to everyone” syndrome.  Much like The Last Thing He Wanted, Netflix likes to take their big budgets and A-list actors for a spin through as many scenarios as they can conjure within one film… if you like post-apocalypse scenarios, survival of a dying man in a dying land, lone wolf and cub stories, or seeing the lost in space overcome the unknown to return home, then The Midnight Sky will definitely have something in it for you.  Netflix has certainly been a haven for more ambitious science-fiction efforts, and this film continues the trend, making room for a much more personal story rather than a sensational one, though there are bold sequences sprinkled here and there.

That being said, the Clooney-directed affair manages to handle the many looks it throws at the viewer without seeming too over the map.  The ranges of danger match the bleakness of all situations the characters face, with the dual similar narratives of youths’ presence serving as inspiration for them to act beyond any personal motivations (or lack thereof) for survival.  Both stories propel themselves forward naturally, building the sense of a collision course that keeps the viewer hanging on purely out of curiosity for the outcome.  The stories volley danger back and forth well, with one group hitting a harrowing situation just as the other is in the midst of recovery from one, which helps keep us invested in both sets of character dramas unfolding.

The space ship color palette takes what should logically be an antiseptically clean white landscape and, along with some uniquely fluid production designs, turns the interior into whites and beiges that often reflect a rich range of blues, magentas and reds.  This stands both in contrast to the vastness of space the ship is lost in and the white tundra that the outpost is located in, with its production design resonating an artificial coldness.  The special effects are some of the most impressive presented in a Netflix affair, blending seamlessly into the visual landscape rather than serving as distraction.  The score sticks to your standard big budget playbook, with strings and other symphonic tools used to bring a bigger sense of scale to the world and all of the dread that it holds.

George Clooney plays the grizzled old man with the heart of gold well, hitting all of the stubborn and protector tropes in ways that keep them fresh and interesting.  Felicity Jones brings a motherliness to her role, displaying a unique rapport with each of her crewmates well.  David Oyewolo brings a good balance of focused captain and focused expectant father, using the dual motivations as a way to keep his character’s emotional core steady.  Kyle Chandler brings a veteran’s doubtful allegiance to the mix, serving as a sort of ballast for Demián Bichir’s sharper nature and Tiffany Boone’s high spirited naivete’.  Ethan Peck and Sophie Rundle share some tender moments, and Caoilinn Springall is memorable in her minimalist approach to stowaway Iris.

Netflix hasn’t quite hit their stride, but they’re getting closer and closer by the attempt.  I don’t want it to sound like I did not enjoy The Midnight Sky, because in all honesty I did, but in a surprisingly strong year for film,  The Midnight Sky finds itself lacking where several films shine.

[moviesharkd]

MARTIN RUHE creates the majesty and mastery of THE MIDNIGHT SKY with light and lens - Exclusive Interview - Behind The Lens

THE MIDNIGHT SKY is masterful filmmaking with much of that mastery thanks to cinematographer Martin Ruhe. Listen to our exclusive interview as we go behind the lens with MARTIN RUHE.