In 1862 headstrong scientist James Glaisher and wealthy young widow Amelia Wren mount a balloon expedition to fly higher than anyone in history. As their perilous ascent reduces their chances of survival, the unlikely duo soon discover things about themselves -- and each other -- that help both of them find their place in the world.
The aeronauts is a really exciting film that is full of interesting and thrilling scenes, it follows the journey of James Glaisher, a failing meteorologist and scientist, and Amelia Wren, an outgoing performer and their journey to heights that no man (or woman) has ever reached. I can’t lie, I really wasn’t sure about this film - from adverts, it looked really interesting but after seeing the mixed views that people have had on it I really wasn’t sure, especially given the plot of a balloon journey not seeming massively thrilling to me. The main question is though, does this ’balloon journey’ prove to actually be a higher flyer or does it deflate and fall to the ground? Here are my thoughts.
I'll start off with what I liked about this film, films like this really rely on gripping you and making the plot feel exciting and immersive. The way that this film begins matches this perfectly, quick-cut shots of an intense balloon ride with a man falling through the air - not only does this catch us off guard but it also helps to make the film feel gripping and intense right from the beginning, it feels fast-paced, immersive and hints the element of danger that the film will have. I liked this, those quick shots don’t really provide any context, so we are left searching for their meaning - only 30 seconds in the feel already feels exciting and engaging which I liked. The film also introduced us to the characters really nicely and fluidly too, which is really effective because the rest of the film centre's around getting to know these characters, their relationship and their journey of course - the film does this by throwing us straight into the action which did catch me a little off guard - but in hindsight it's really gripping because it means that we are instantly in the story, no messing about before and showing us unnecessary scenes, this film begins the film by basically straight away showing us the balloon and starting off their journey to 'where no man or woman has ever been'. I like this because it focuses on the story, and it doesn't 'beat around the bush' in doing so. I also thought that simple things such as the little countdown clock which counted down to takeoff helped to create a really exciting and suspenseful start to the film, and they get us excited about the journey - before it has even taken off and before we are really that sure of what the purpose of the flight is. One of the best parts about the film for me though is the characters, not only do their stories feel really immersive but the awesome use of flashbacks throughout the film feel really clever, because as the film goes on we feel like there are some confusing things such as Pierre's death, however what I really liked was how the film progressed, the use of flashbacks helped to answer our questions and to provide context to the characters - all whilst reeling us in and making a really engaging storyline. I also like how the characters were introduced to us, seeing Amelia Wren as an exciting, outgoing performer as opposed to James Glaisher who is a little more boring and serious - it gives us a good initial impression of who they are and their purpose in the film, but then the film progressively changes and adapts these character relationships to make them feel fresh, exciting and enjoyable - I liked how it doesn't take the cliche romance story where they fall in love, but instead they go from being two characters who don't really have anything in common, to two characters who share a lot in common and I really liked that, especially because it keeps the characters feeling fresh and exciting. But as well as this, I liked how they genuinely felt like they had a purpose. Seeing flashbacks to James's proposal's to scientists about something we have taken for granted, weather prediction and seeing him being laughed off and embarrassed helps to show that there is so much more to him than just a boring and plain character, but it gives him a purpose and certainly acts as a strong catalyst behind his decisions to go even higher, even when staring in the face of death. The characters (played by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones) are amazing and both actors portray them with strength and vulnerability. Felicity is especially stunning, and she gives an amazing performance that's not to be missed. It takes a while to learn their backstories, but it's worth the investment. They really come to rely on each other in unexpected ways, and by the end you have a real sense of what the balloon ride means to each of them personally. I also love how passionate the characters feel, seeing their faces when they see butterflies flying thousands of feet up, and the lengths they go to survive when opening the valve and landing of the balloon - the characters really speak to us in so many ways and this really helps to make them feel immersive. The dialogue they use also really helps with that too, it's just subtle little things like how James says about flying higher than any man or woman has been, and then by the end, when their relationship has improved she uses exactly the same quote as well as the intensity and emotion that their dialogue has during the flight, it helps to personify the emotions and feelings of nervousness and wonder as they go through so many amazing weather experiences which in turn is relayed really nicely to us and helps to make the film feel so much more enjoyable because of how immersive the characters and storyline feel. Like I said though, the flashbacks are definitely a key element as to giving the story and characters context, even scenes like providing information as to how they met, Amelia and Pierre and the construction of the balloon all help to provide useful information, whilst not distracting us from the exciting start to the film. The characters relationships change and adapt too through, seeing how James's Dad has dementia, whilst dipping in and out of remembering him but speaking about visiting the stars and James's journey in the balloon feels really emotional and definitely gives us a lot of empathy towards James as a character, because we see what the trip means to both of them. Although I like how the film essentially only follows Amelia and James, sure there are other characters but they aren't massively influential but I like that because it helps to focus our attention on the two characters, as well as their expedition. I really like how fresh the film stays throughout though, the addition of 'challenges' throughout ensure that the film stays tense and exciting, scenes like them not being able to open the hatch to return to Earth, as well as Amelia falling off the balloon and having to swing on rope to get back to James and James suffering from hypoxia. These are actually really key scenes in the film, not just because they help to add some excitement to the film but it also makes the journey feel much more realistic too, the way in which the characters react to heavy rain, snow and the wonder on their faces when looking at the tops of clouds and rainbows is something we take for granted, but seeing how fascinated the characters are and how excited they get by this really feels immersive and just generally thrilling to watch. AS well as this though, it feels like, from a character perspective, the film feels really well thought through and well made, it is clear throughout the pain that Amelia has for her late husband, seeing her body language, facial expressions and even just the dialogue she uses when discussing him - it really cleverly and realistically shows her loss and the depressed emotions that she has, which makes the falling scene at the end so much more powerful, which is what this film excels at - taking emotions or important parts from the characters and then referencing them later on - making them feel much more than just a scene. That's why when they begin to fall at the end and Amelia goes to jump off as Pierre did, it has so much meaning to us, because not only does it show her emotions for James but it also helps to remind us of the character she is and what she has been through - whilst demonstrating the strong emotional impact that the loss of her husband had on her. The characters here were great, not only does the film focus on the storyline really nicely, but even in strange circumstances that the film finds itself in - of being a film essentially about a hot air balloon journey, surprisingly the characters actually prove to be really multidimensional and immersive.
Not only do the characters feel really good and immersive but so does the story too - it takes a fairly basic kinda plot idea and really squeezes it to get the most out of the film. It manages to do this by really engaging with us and producing unpredictable and exciting scenes in places we didn’t really expect them, the film also makes the most out of its plot, by providing smaller side stories such as James’s mission to prove his parents wrong and Amelia’s to essentially avenge her dead husband. The film gives a really good sense of time and place though, scenes like the boy running through London at the start to see the takeoff gives a great implication of not only the timings but also the types of characters and scenery that we can expect - all while providing a fast-paced, energetic start to the film. I also like how the film gets us hyped up and excited for the balloon journey, even though we barely know what the purpose of the journey is at the start, the combination of roaring crowds, countdowns and the emotion and wonder from the characters really gets us excited and looking forward to the film. Films like this rely heavily on twists and it definitely wouldn’t be plane (pardon the pun) sailing for them, because the addition of plot twists definitely keeps us on our toes and engaged with what is going on - it also brings in an element of shock and intensity too, for example seeing the dog thrown out of the balloon, brought a real surprise only for a parachute to deploy and for him to safely land - the unpredictable nature and swinging camera all add to the realism and intensity of the film. The actual plot idea and execution feels very well Done here too, I saw some people complaining that it isn’t factually correct and that there are actually two guys in the balloon - if you want a like for like version then cinema isn’t for you, maybe try a book? It feels like the plot is really well executed and flows together in a really fluid way which helps to connect scenes together really nicely, which makes all of the scenes in the film like they actually make sense - I also think that the fairly simplistic plot works a treat for this film because it means that we can really immerse ourselves within not only the characters and their relationships but also the actual journey too - which uses some amazing effects. The special effects were top-notch... they didn't look like CGI and so I was never taken out of the movie. As good as the effects are, they are only PART of what makes this movie great. I think that overall, the story was easy to understand, exciting and really thrilling - best of all it really gets you engaged and interested in the characters and their great acting helps for them to essentially reach out to us and bring us up with them. I genuinely like how it isn't exactly as it happened in history though, because it's only 'based' on a true story, so by adding in a few twists and challenges that maybe didn't happen I really like the impact this had, because it meant that we had a character (Amelia) and a story that could really reach out and grab us, it's based off a great and intriguing story but adds in a little bit of inaccuracy purely for the cinematic effect.
The film wasn't perfect though, it did have a few small issues. The backstory wasn't massively interesting (the weather predictions) and a bit slow to develop, even though the actual flight felt exciting and interesting, and the weather prediction gave the film some filling, it just didn't feel like this was pushed enough to really get us immersed in James's story and his mission. This left me feeling a little forgetful as to his purpose on the journey, although this isn't necessarily a bad thing because the only reason I forgot was because of the captivating scenes in the air. I also would have liked to have seen a little more from James's team and the kid in the red coat, as well as James's family, it felt like they were potentially great characters who may have something to offer to the storyline, but they weren't really involved at all, apart from a few fillers between exciting, more important scenes.
Overall, I would give this film an 8.5. I was pleasantly surprised, considering that from the plot description it doesn't sound overly exciting or thrilling, but the scenery, the captivating actors and the well put together storyline really left me on the edge of my seat for large portions of the film. The characters feel great, and elements such as flashbacks spread out throughout the film feel great and purposeful, because they provide context and information throughout evenly, so that we aren't just given all of the information and detail in one big chunk - which shows that a lot of work went into this film. It was also visually amazing too, the scenes and backgrounds were amazing and really left me in awe of the scenery, wishing I could be there to witness it too. Of course, there were a few issues with the film but in all seriousness, I would definitely recommend checking it out - it's fun, engaging and immersive which ticket all of the boxes for a good film. It's just a shame that many will see the plot description and turn away. because it is actually a really exciting and thrilling film with some great performances from its actors.
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did watching the film and writing this review, I hope you have a lovely day! If you would like to check out my Official Facebook page where you can see sneak previous and more film insights then please consider checking out the link below!
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