Review: Lucy in the Sky (2019)

TIFF: Lucy in the Sky (2019)

As some of you may have seen, Lucy in the Sky was one of my most anticipated films at TIFF. This was because of the helm of the film, director, Noah Hawley, the visionary creator behind the phenomenal tv series, Fargo and Legion. For those of you who have seen these shows (and I implore that if you have not, then to do so), you know that Hawley has an aptitude for quirkiness, bending narrative and atmosphere. His style is like if David Lynch and the Coen brothers melded together in the Fly's telepod and then was given a large budget to craft a story. Fargo was a strong example for Hawley's sharp writing and then Legion built upon this, simultaneously encouraging him to break all of the steadfast rules of writing. And so, it was no surprise (at least to me) that I was very, very excited for his feature directorial debut with Lucy in the Sky.

The film is loosely based upon the tabloid story that circulated just over a decade ago of the drama that ensued following NASA astronaut, Lisa Nowak's, return from space. The 'drama' involved an extra-marital affair along with some other incidents that I will not divulge for sake of spoiling the film. On paper, this story seems perfect for an entertaining film adaptation. Going even more for the film is its cast, which includes Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Zazie Beetz, Ellen Burstyn, Tig Notaro and Nick Offerman - all of whom are some of the most talented actors/actresses working today. However, as of you have likely also seen, Lucy in the Sky has not received positive reviews, nope... not. at. all. So what exactly went wrong for it?

Let me just begin by saying that I do not think that the film deserves its current 21% rating on RT by any means. You can see above what my score for the film is and this is because I was still quite entertained by it from beginning to end. The biggest criticism I would give to it is that I was fairly underwhelmed by it. Overall, the film is a bit light on substance - its dialogue and character arcs never go to that extent that you want them to, they never have that extra punch that makes you want to go "daaaaamn" as you're watching it. The film kind of just rolls along, but without that sense of direction or momentum that you want from it. As well, where the final act goes is a bit surprising and will likely catch people off guard, only leading to that increased feeling of confusion and slight unease. There is the added discussion about the film of its representation of females that I would say does have some merit, though maybe not to the extent that some have posited. My partial theory is that Hawley did not write the film himself, but was limited by the structure set out by 'more conventional' feature screenwriters, which may have been a detriment to his unique directorial vision. On the positive side though, the acting is generally good from the whole cast, but I also think that certain talents were underused as one or two actors only pop in for a scene or two. As well, many of the visuals are quite exhilarating - both narratively and practically. Further to this is the very creative use of aspect ratio throughout that will likely either win over or irk viewers as they watch.

At the end of the day I would still recommend checking out Lucy in the Sky, if only for you to make up your own mind whether you like it or not. Don't just avoid it due to its critical reception it's been receiving. There is a lot to enjoy here, or at least a lot to disseminate and ponder over as you ultimately decide whether you did, in fact, like the film, or not.