Director: Morten Tyldum
Released: 2016
Main actors: Jennifer Lawrence (Aurora)
Chris Pratt (Jim)
Normally I don't feel it necessary to comment on big American box office films. Also, as I hardly ever actually see a film in a theater, I'm usually pretty late to the first-run films, so by the time I see it everyone else already has. But after reading several negative reviews online, I felt compelled to contradict.
I just saw Passengers. I had avoided selecting it for weeks because the premise seemed to be more a romantic comedy, and I wanted to see more compelling stories. I had not read any reviews about it, so my bias came uniquely from the one-sentence summary I read. I am not a devoted sci-fi or fantasy viewer or reader. I am not completely devoted to beautiful Hollywood actors or swayed by fancy action sequences. I finally chose it because I was intrigued to see what is was really about.
The premise of transporting people to a distant planet is fascinating to many people, and Passengers presents the potential risks of such ventures. The set design was carefully constructed to accurately depict what would likely be found on board a commercial vessel bound for such a voyage. The opulent state rooms bring a little bling to an otherwise blinding world of white and gray. The calculated computerized responses are spot-on, and completely unhelpful when help is really needed. The android bartender is the perfect combination of comedic relief and antagonistic betrayal. It was a great decision to avoid giving Aurora the cliché of a writer (glasses and hair wrapped loosely in a bun). Instead, her clothing choices are very normal for women traveling on cruises. Jim also dresses normally: no need to wear extra-tight shirts, baseball caps, cargo shorts or flannel.
I was pleasantly surprised by Passengers. I am often intrigued to look online after viewing a film to learn more about it and read some reviews. I was disgusted to read multiple reviews completely panning the film. I understand that film critics feel compelled to make clever insights, find comparisons with other films, and highlight improbabilities. The sheer volume of film viewing almost requires them to pursue their initial instinct for a review.
Passengers was directed by Morten Tyldum, who is Norwegian, and who has made several Norwegian films. His English film The Imitation Game (about the Enigma machine and Alan Turing) won world-wide acclaim. Passengers did not receive the same fate. In my opinion, both The Imitation Game and Passengers are worthy films.
Passengers is clearly a fairy tale, and makes no claims to have complicated plot twists. Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) is Sleeping Beauty, and Jim (Chris Pratt) the one who stumbles across her in the forest (of tree-shaped passenger pods). The film is not necessarily targeted to any specific group, which is probably why they chose to make it a big Hollywood production, to reach everyone. (Critics seem to be upset that it's both, or neither.) Remember fairy tales are light-hearted stories meant to warn about dangers, defeat obstacles and conclude with a happy couple. Passengers perfectly follows this path.
Here are some of the major criticisms about Passengers:
The stars are popular and attractive Hollywood actors. Yes, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are beautiful actors. It also seems completely plausible that the large commercial company depicted in the film would want beautiful people to sign up to colonize a new planet. They are also good actors, and they do show the dilemmas one would encounter stuck in a difficult situation. Human nature draws us to attractive features, and Jim's selection of Aurora is instinctual. His decision is
Chris Pratt lacks dimension. Chris usually has roles with great one-liners meant to lighten the mood as giant predators chase or surround him. As other critics have pointed out, he does posses the traditional look of an American astronaut and a jock, but Chris brings those ideals back down to the human level. He perfectly portrays Jim, the mechanical engineer who has endearing charm and lighthearted creativity to counteract a lack of confidence. What's the problem with changing our perception of engineers to include ones who want to maintain their physique ?
Jennifer Lawrence prances about in a swimsuit and tank top. This is not a horror film; Aurora is wearing typical clothing to swim and jog around the ship. Exercise is a great way to stay in shape, maintain a routine, and contemplate. Astronauts spend ample time exercising; it's a constant effort to combat muscle loss. Jim had a year to adjust to his situation; Aurora is expected to immediately accept her fate ? Do critics complain about Claire running in House of Cards ?
The characters spend all their time dining and playing. Traditional cruises contain restaurants, basketball courts, pools, arcades and jogging paths. These are normal vacation and travel activities. Why should we assume travel to space would be different ? It's a great notion to give passengers an opportunity to don space suits and walk outside, giving them some momentary freedom and their first chance to really experience space. Exactly what commercial enterprises would offer their guests, like zip-lines and bungee-jumping. One interesting aspect no one mentions Jim can develop basic language skills through dining at Japanese, Mexican and French restaurants.
The film feels lost and going nowhere. The premise is not really about getting to the destination (which never veers off course); it's about the tough decisions when something goes wrong en route. This is a road movie about humanity in an inhuman world. Perhaps it is more a European perspective to make a film less about action than about the difficult decisions humans face. The American film audience seems to prefer mind-numbing action sequences.
It's really just a new Titanic. Yes, comparisons are inevitable to other sinking ships. Space travel limits the options for rescue though. The economic differences between Aurora and Jim are realistic, and hardly contrived. Jim is not poor, and we're not supposed to feel sorry for him. He was recruited for his skills and compensated with the lowest-fare option. Where's the surprise there ?
There are several sequences like Gravity. Yes, the actors have tethered spacesuits and difficulties with on-board systems. This will likely appear in many films set in space.
Pessimism pervades. There has always been a sense of unfailing optimism within the American space program, but as a government program, there was accountability to the public. Now that it is becoming almost completely commercialized, it can forge ahead almost without limits. This idealism could be viewed as naïve, and perhaps Morten Tyldum (the Norwegian director) is inserting some of his concerns (though he did not write the script).
It's creepy. Most people seem to view Jim's decision to awaken Aurora as immoral. They state he is robbing her of a life on the new planet. In reality, Aurora does not want to live there: she wants to write a story and return to Earth. In her own way, she is selfish. When he changes Aurora's plan, he liberates her to actually live.
In my opinion, the creepiness is flying a craft for hundreds of years with no beings (human or robotic) in charge of monitoring system failure. This is the audacity of all disaster movies, to assume nothing could possibly go wrong. Autopilot on planes doesn't mean the pilots sleep...
The ending is contrived. People complain the film ends in a lovey-dovey heart-warming relationship. It brings life to a world waiting to live. It is not implying morality nor assuming everyone would make the same choice. All films must end, and this one should leave the viewer pondering. It seems the critics don't want to think.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Films are a medium of storytelling. They use fictional characters to demonstrate flaws and warn against potential dangers. They give us opportunities to question our own decisions, and show us alternative ways to live. They are meant to entertain. It's not that we must expect less from movies, it's that sometimes they may expect more from us.
There will inevitably be more films about space travel, probably even disaster films. I am sure they will have great cinematic effects and large explosions. They will probably feature famous actors with various levels of sculpted features. I hope that critics in the future can look back at Passengers with better appreciation.
No comments:
Post a Comment