Megan McCormack

I remember thoroughly enjoying this movie when I saw it the first time in the cinemas but when I watched it a second time recently with its Netflix release in Australia I was left with a different feeling altogether. I’m obviously a changed woman. In my first viewing I held some empathy for Chris Pratt’s character but on this viewing I saw him as an incredibly weak character unable to rise above his own selfish needs for companionship. What if he had been wrong, what if there was no love story between Aurora and Jim, no happily ever after in space, what would we think of his decision then. What if Jim did not have the face of an angel, and charm to match, would we think differently then? (Lol, yes I have a small crush on Chris Pratt) He made a choice for her that he had absolutely no right to make. He sacrificed her life for his own chance of an uncertain happiness. Her anger was most definitely justified, and her forgiveness a testament to the heart of a woman. I suppose all it takes is a moment of utter desperation and weakness in the face of decades of solitude and you have the scenario that is explored in Passengers. I think the production design in this film is quite exceptional. Lawrence in her white swim suit battling a swimming pool of water in its anti-gravity state is visually just so striking that I forgive most other aspects of the movie. The scenes depicting the space walks are beautiful, the ship’s elegant curved design incredible, it’s one of my favourite fictional space craft (except Serenity of course, I’m a total Brown Coat) and with so much beauty to look at (did I mention I’m a fan of Chris Pratt), I was never bored. Worth watching, this strange love story set in space.

I very frequently enjoy films in this genre. It’s quite a confronting question to contemplate - what will eventually bring the human race to its knees. However, conceptually the ‘threat’ in this film was ill-defined from the outset to the point that it undermined the film. Either be a sci-fi film where the source of the mass suicides was alien in nature, or come up with a better explanation as to the human or worldly origin of the threat, don’t try to sit somewhere in the middle. My attention wandered during the film, so I didn’t come away with answers to any of the questions I had - whether this was my inattention or a poor script I can’t be sure. Sandra Bullock was miscast in this role, and while I do often enjoy her performances, this was not one of them. There is a scene the lead character is travelling along a river with two small children and they capsize - this was the more terrifying scene for me - the force of the rapids separating a mother from her children - far more frightening than the other ‘evil’ presented in the film. I can’t think of any other redeeming features of the film - the theme relating to our own internal struggle of self-preservation vs helping others is explored quite well but that’s about it - I wouldn’t waste your time with this movie.

I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Queen, although have always admired the originality and performing style of Freddy Mercury, and this worked to my advantage in seeing this movie - being naive to the true legacy of Queen I wasn’t in a position of evaluating how well the film represented the reality. I absolutely loved this movie. My favourite scenes were the ones depicting the creative and collaborative process behind some of Queen’s most beloved songs. The groups ability to consistently innovate over such a long period really shone when you have their impressive legacy laid before you. Each song with its inception story. A nuanced and engaging lead performance showed Freddy’s genius and originality and the vulnerability that was the driving force behind his creativity. His artistic gift also left him periodically isolated from others, and this was palpable and heart wrenching. The scene where Freddy reveals the news of his illness to the band, his ‘family’, brought tears to my eyes, as did the subsequent courage and brilliance of the bands Live Aid performance. The recreation of the Live Aid performance was electrifying - imagine being present in that historic concert singing ‘We are the champions’ amidst such a massive crowd - it would be a thing you’d never forget. I would recommend seeing this film on the big screen. I certainly walked away with a new appreciation of Queen’s music and was far more emotionally engaged by the movie than I had anticipated walking in. Highly recommend.