"Clara"

 2018 * Not Rated * 1h 45m  One of my favorite movie genres is science fiction. I’ve been a science nerd since I was a kid. So when I first saw the movie  “2001: A Space Odyssey,” when I was a teenager, it blew me away. To this day it’s my favorite movie of all time. I’ve probably seen it at least a dozen times. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed numerous other sci-fi flicks like “Contact,” “Arrival,” and “Interstellar” to name but a few. What they all have in common is they’re intelligent movies that are totally believable, they’re well crafted, and they feature great performances. 

 

I recently stumbled upon the film “Clara.” When I saw it described as a romantic science fiction movie I was a bit skeptical, to say the east. After all, romance and science are somewhat opposite notions. But that’s one of the main themes in this remarkable movie.  It’s the sophomore effort of director Akash Sherman and what an impressive outing it is. “Clara” is a gently paced movie where the story slowly unfolds. You won’t find a lot of action but that’s its strength. What you will find is a beautiful story, sensational acting, and an ending that I can assure you, will take you by surprise. 

 

We first meet Dr. Isaac Bruno (Patrick J. Adams), a professor of astrophysics giving a lecture. The good doctor is not exactly a people person, to say the least. In fact, he’s downright rude and condescending to his students. It’s this attitude that not only gets him in trouble, it gets him fired.  At first he’s shocked, but he soon realizes that it’s a blessing in disguise.  Bruno has long been obsessed with searching for intelligent life out in the universe, and this newly found free time could prove to be beneficial to his quest. 

 

One day he spots a young woman in the atrium painting a mural of a colorful galaxy and he makes a mental note of her. Bruno is excited about a couple of recent events related to space exploration. One is the launch of the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Space Telescope, which is an upgrade of the Kepler, which discovered a huge number of planets.  The second event is the future launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will significantly enhance the search for new planets. 

 

The race in on for scientists to discover potentially habitable planets using data gathered by TESS. The winner will be the first one to engage the use of the Webb Telescope. Isaac decides to hire an assistant and is a bit miffed when only one person responds to his flyers—Clara (Troian Bellisario), the muralist he noticed earlier. She turns out to be a bit of a mystery. When he interviews her he discovers she has no scientific training, and in fact, she hasn’t taken any college classes at all. She’s spent the past several years vagabonding around the world.  Clara’s been living on the streets with her stray dog, and since no one else applied for the position, he hires her. 

 

Clara turns out to be exactly what Isaac needs. She’s a hard worker, and brings a sense of passion and creativity to their work. While Isaac is the quintessential scientist, Clara is a freethinking, romantic soul. The scientific methodology for their search is explained in layperson’s terms, and it’s easy to understand. It adds credibility to the story and makes the film even more engaging. Isaac also relies on assistance from his colleague Dr. Charles Durant (Ennis Esmer) and his ex-wife Dr. Rebecca Jenkins (Kristen Hager). The pace of the film picks up as it heads to a conclusion that caught me totally off guard.  

 

I really enjoyed the seamless blending of the romantic and scientific sides of the story—neither one overwhelmed the narrative. I thought the cinematography was decent as well. You might be surprised when I tell you the soundtrack included a mix of early Bob Dylan and quiet electronics from composer Jonathan Kawchuk. But trust me, it really does work. It enhanced an already wonderful viewing experience. 

5 out of 5 stars

 

Note to parents: The film is Not Rated and I thought it would probably garner a PG-13 rating. 

 

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy and Hoopla. Also on Plex, Crackle, and to rent on Prime Video.