Are you a fan of the Victorian era? Do you take an interest in scientific feats? Or do you just like a well made adventure movie? This film encompasses all of the above, an excellent work of cinematic art.
The Aeronauts take us back to a time before weather stations and Google searches. To a time before the world took for granted knowing tomorrow’s temperature and humidity levels. Back in 1862, a scientist dared to believe that one could predict weather patterns and was the laughing stock of the London academic class. He wanted to go beyond the highest altitude achieved by man and record the weather patterns and trends, in an effort to grasp how it all worked. He called it meteorology.
The movie is based on real events and portrays a mostly historically accurate story except for one small alteration. Glaisher, our free thinking scientist, needs the help of a balloon pilot to break the record of 23’000 feet. While in real life his balloon pilot was Henry Coxwell, the makers of the film decided to portray the pilot as a female, Amelia Wren. Despite the change in gender, the daredevil duo soar to great heights, suffering extreme weather conditions and risking their lives for scientific progress.
Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne star in The Aeronauts, a pair that have already acted with great success in a historical science movie, The Theory of Everything. Their performances in The Aeronauts is complimented by the awe inspiring scenic shots and the compositions of Academy Award winner, Steven Price.
In some parts of the film you’ll be on the edge of your seat or turning away to avoid looking at the dizzying heights these scientific heroes were subject to. The screenplay is so well done that you actually feel like you are in that balloon basket!
The 19th century landscape and thrilling adventure story combined with the soundtrack and casting make for an excellent weekend watch.
