Indeed, Aeronauts, recounts how meteorology pioneer James Glashier (Eddie Redmayne) and the adventurous widow Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) flew higher than any human had previously flown in gas-balloon (kind of like a hot air balloon but using hydrogen) in order for Glashier to prove that weather prediction could be achieved. Along the way they encounter difficulties such as storms, frigid temperatures, leaks, and the general bad decisions one can make when deprived of oxygen.
I know what you are thinking. “This is not science fiction. It took place a long time ago and was based off of reality. This is a historical adventure film.” Listen, I agree with you partially, but I will still argue for science fiction. You really have to see a story through the perspective of the character’s setting and not the time period you are from. (I advise that for any genre, really.) The journey of James Glashier and Amelia Wren can easily be translated to a space movie that takes place 100 years in our future about two brave people exploring far off space, and we would just call it “Astronauts.” My point is, this movie is directed exactly like a space movie, only with antiquated technology.
Unfortunately, an average audience member may pick up on this without realizing it, and then start to feel like something’s missing. An average space exploration film either has many more characters, a variety of settings, or at the very least, some deep philosophical meaning. While the characterization of Glashier and Wren is slowly revealed through a series of flashbacks, the main action of the movie takes place in less than a day, and mainly just in the balloon. Perhaps having such a “simplistic” plot can be seen as a drawback to many. In an odd way, I appreciate the occasional “streamlined” sort of plot on occasion. Besides the numerous flashbacks, the tone of focusing on just two people in a tiny setting felt uniquely intimate. The beautiful scenes felt more joyful, the dangerous scenes felt more tense. I know I love comparing a lot of films to this, but it reminded me of Gravity in a lot of ways.
Speaking of beautiful scenes, Aeronauts was certainly a pleasure to look at. Perhaps I am a sucker for clouds and butterflies, but l loved looking at this movie like I loved looking out the window of the airplane when I was a kid. Ironically, I also have an intense fear of falling, and if you are anything like me, this film will trigger you a bit with some of the more intense parts.
If you are going to make a film focusing on only two characters, it is advisable to cast a pair that have wonderful chemistry together. And while Eddie Redmayne is now an expert at playing a socially awkward scientist and Felicity Jones is a pro at playing the plucky adventure girl, I can’t imagine better casting. It definitely helps that they had previously worked together in The Theory of Everything. Both of these actors have such great range, I almost feel guilty enjoying them in these typecast roles.
It really does help if you view this movie from the perspective of these characters, (a point I suspect director Tom Harper was trying hard to drive home.) If you able to, than Aeronauts is most definitely a decent (if a bit straight-forward) science fiction. Remember, fellow nerds, all achievements in human civilization were thought of as fiction before they actually happened.
