A journey to the soul Ad Astra - "through hardship to the stars", a film that focuses not so much on the technology, but in the character of the individual, that takes on the task of undertaking this perilous journey. Brad Pitt in the lead is an outstanding astronaut, who has achieved this recognition by focusing everything on mission outcomes, and nothing else. At a cost of his marriage, and any real close personal contacts. While this may sound a bit cheesy, the film does not gloss over this, but instead makes it the central premise. With Pitt embarking on the most dangerous of missions to the edge of the solar system, wrestling with his choices and a possible resolution with his father, who he has modelled his own life and career on. Set against the majestic bleakness of space, there is a wonderful counterbalance between the infinite of the galaxy, and the personal, of making a connection with just one person and holding onto that. A lifeline that is just as important as the tether to a spacecraft. While there is spectacle, and some action, this is very much a film of thought and reflection of what it is that matters most.