gpeltz Here we have Astronaut; The Last Push, (2012) Directed by Eric Hayden who also wrote it. It runs 85 long minutes and covers a three year period. Spoiler Alerts I will be talking about this film. First of all, Thanks for the terrific quality, Superb. What we have here is basically a one man show. The man being Astronaut Michael Forrest played by Khary Payton. His partner dies early, and shows up in flashbacks. Now he gets to talk to Mission Control's Bob Jenson, played. by Brian Baumgartner. The mission is to Europa, to visit Seaworld. However when things go south, it is a journey to get back to the Earth, from Venus. They were going to use Venus as a sling shot to gain speed to get to Jupiter. OK, maybe. What it turns into, is an exercise in isolation and tedium. Three years to get from Venus back to Earth, as the mission is aborted. The following year (2013) the movie Europa Report was released, It had a better ship, and a bigger crew, and ultimately was a better movie. This movie deals with the effects of Isolation, You have to give Khary Payton credit for giving us someone interesting to look at, almost full time. He reminds me of Obama in looks, his mood is almost perpetually dour, but living in cramped quarters, with little to do but mend the ship, and survive and go through isolation hallucinations to maintain our interest. A tall order.Repeated shots of exercise, sleeping, eating, and pooping are the framework this story is hung upon. The technical failures, each one life threatening, must be tended to, The claustrophobia is oppressive, There is not even a window to look out of. The effects are good. Only when the ship is within arms length of Venus, does a sense of wonder display itself. The music. simplistic and repetitive complements the dreary hours that make up a three year journey. Only swelling from the bland four note format, to a grander tonality as the views of Venus are revealed. Taking a final cue from movies such as the 1936 Things to Come, The movie strives for the Heroic note to end upon. Concerning mankind's drive to the stars, "For man, no rest and no ending..." We watch as the Astronaut virtually takes on a suicide turn to resume the aborted mission. He did not have to. I give this one Six out of Ten "Miles to go before I sleep" Stars.

Michael Forrest Even when it dragged, it was right. The POINT was made - life on a long haul space mission will drag - even under the best of circumstances. Stuck, alone, in a windowless box the size of a bathroom for three years? Defies all comprehension - and that's what the director managed so well to put across. The acting was okay, but again, the hero's vulnerability followed by recovery were key - and that much was well played. Sam Rockwell did a better job of the solo thing in "Moon", but given that was an Oscar-worthy performance it's probably an unfair comparison.Having only very recently seen "Gravity", and hating it for it's corny premise, absurd science, and a script apparently penned by monkeys, I rejoiced in the fact that this film did it SO much better, for a fraction of the price. Another sublime "anti-Cameron" to add to the collection. Destined for cult status - just like "Moon".

rachaelov Visually, the special effects, the set itself, and overall film quality was pretty good on what I assume was probably quite a small budget.In terms of physics I was far less convinced. The finale was wholly unconvincing and impossible, and it was amusing that the diagrams of the trajectory of slingshots were really passbys that would have added little momentum; and then the pointless burn; and that the sun seemed to be completely absent in any calculations or diagrams! Well, you can suspend disbelief, so it wasn't too much of a distraction.However the writing about the state of mind of the astronaut wasn't very convincing at all, and neither were his decisions at the end of the film. Physically in terms of his body, his hair, his clothes there were no changes or deterioration over what we're to believe is three years. Psychologically there wasn't much in the way of change either. In short I didn't believe this man spent three years in a tiny tin can.In the end I'd say this is a wholly worthy effort - it isn't dreadful or anything, and I didn't burst out laughing or shout at the screen. But in the end I was unconvinced, and insight into the human condition seems lacking. But I'll be interested to see what he does next.

Jesse Boland Nice one man play in the form of a movie with background supporting characters. No really this as a good movie though, it just feels like it was made as a test film to send around to the studios to try and get some real money. Great story that should grab you nicely in the first few minutes, and at least keep you on board for quite a while. The movie does suffer in the lack of any real action or suspense, but there is some really good acting, and the special effects are good for the budget they had to work with.(I can say better than you would see last decade, just not enough of it) Might touch your heart a bit, but then they will put a stop to that don't you worry. I liked seeing Brian Baumgartner not playing a buffoon, but a much more rounded character who gets to show many sides. This movie has been getting a bunch of hype, but I just don't think it is quite there. Some nice surprises, and new stories for a movie, but not enough effort to put the whole thing together, and a slow uninteresting decent into madness for too much of the main story, but then just not without more than a badly produced video from earth. Enjoy if you wanna get spaced out.