Making its way onto digital download in the UK from Monday 6th November is the romantic comedy-drama, Space Oddity. The film – directed by Kyra Sedgwick – stars Kyle Allen, Alexandra Shipp, Kevin Bacon, Carrie Preson, Madeline Brewer, and Simon Helberg, and tells the story of a young man who has plans to take a one-way trip to Mars.
In the movie, Alex McAllister has spent his life dreaming about going to Mars. He has it all planned out, is continously training to get his fitness levels up, and is determined to make it happen.
According to Alex, this will be a one-way trip, so when he arrives on the planet he will build a new life for himself, create a home, and get married. As he won’t be returning to Earth, Alex also accepts that he will die on Mars, and he is totally fine with this.
To make this dream a reality, Alex joins a space program called ‘Mission to Mars’. He then approaches an insurance company to get some life insurance ahead of the proposed journey.
Everything is moving along nicely, and Alex is prepared to cut all ties to family and friends when the time comes. However, things start to become complicated when Alex meets insurance rep Daisy, and the two develop a romantic connection here on Earth.
Every once in a while, a movie will come along that appears out of nowhere and has very few bells and whistles attached to it. These movies will either be absolute rubbish, and will leave next-to-no impression at all, or they will be delightful little pictures and for however long they last, they bring a brief smile to your face.
Space Oddity falls very much into the latter category. I knew nothing about this film when I started watching, yet all the way through I found myself enjoying it very much.
The story is very simple and the premise is not entirely original, and yet it’s a lovely little film. Space Oddity is one of those pictures where you spend the majority of its run-time going along with what’s on offer, and occasionally uttering a few ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when it hits the right emotional beats.
At the centre of the movie is a tale about Alex’s obsession with going to Mars. He’s not crazy; he’s merely determined to go, and has no desire to look back.
Some of his nearest and dearest are seemingly OK with his decision, others less so, but as the film progresses, it becomes clear there is a little more going on than is being said. Alex’s family has suffered a tragedy, with Alex hit the hardest, and this goes a long way to explaining his desire to leave the planet.
This plot thread, which focuses on death and grief, bubbles under the surface of the central story and adds a great deal of weight to the picture. This aspect of the film grounds the fantastical side of the movie, and makes Space Oddity relatable.
So, while this is a film about one man’s quest to travel to another planet, it’s really a film about one man’s inability to deal with the difficulties that life has thrown his way. This is something many can understand, and it provides Space Oddity with a number of opportunities to tell a simple story about coping with a devastating situation.
Outside of a fairly strong script from screenwriter, Rebecca Banner, Space Oddity benefits from having two good leads in Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp. The pair are fine actors, who excel in their roles and share great chemistry.
Allen in particular really hits the spot. Alex is a conflicted young man, who sways from being very hopeful to feeling rather hopeless, and his journey is captivating to watch because of how good Allen is on screen.
Chuck in some fine support from Kevin Bacon, Carrie Preson, Madeline Brewer, and Simon Helberg, playing Alex’s family members, and Space Oddity has all the tools required for a very likeable film. Sure, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and the ending can be predicted very early on, but hey, who cares?
While not ground-breaking, Space Oddity is lovely and sometimes that’s all that’s really needed. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is, and it wins points for simply moving along without losing sight of its main objectives.
Allen and Shipp bring a great deal to the screen, but the combination of good direction and a perfectly decent script make all the difference too. Space Oddity is enjoyable stuff.
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment