A real space odyssey

Rating: Null/10 (2 September 2006)

Ron Howard is a solid if unspectacular director. He's capable of making enjoyable films, but they often feel trite and uninspired. However, with Apollo 13 he comes closet to making something that achieves greatness.
But it must be said that it would take an unspeakably awful filmmaker to make a poor movie about the Apollo 13 story. All you have to do is stick close to the facts, film it and not get in the way. And I guess that's what Howard does, for his directing style is pretty anonymous and his viewpoint is narrow  the film doesn't really concern itself with the politics of Apollo. And while in some cases that could hurt a film, here it's the right decision, because rather than try and be a critique of the space programme it's the simple story of a bunch of guys trying to get home  too much commentary would detract from the drama.
Not that there isn't the odd bit of commentary here and there. There's a good scene where the astronauts are broadcasting from their craft, not knowing that the TV networks have dumped them  already space exploration has become boring. And there's also the scene where the media try and set up shop on Marilyn Lovell's lawn  the media are only interested in the mission once the crew are in jeopardy. And on top of this you get a few digs at NASA bureaucracy. But aside from that, the film assumes you're in awe of space exploration and that you agree with the Apollo programme.
And while the flag waving nature of the film with its patriotic music, long pauses and hushed voices is its weakness, it's also its strength, because as absurd and expensive as space travel is, it still touches something deep inside. There's something moving about a bunch of guys risking their lives to push the boundaries. And although Teflon is the greatest thing that space exploration has produced, there's a sense of wonder and pride in knowing that men have managed to break the shackles of the Earth and walked on the Moon (anyone who thinks the landings were hoaxed should be shot  conspiracy theorists are perhaps even more worthless than Goths).
Therefore there's quite a bit of emotion when Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) realises that he wont be walking on the Moon. This is his dream and its been dashed. And there's a great scene when the craft orbits the Moon. Knowing that he won't be walking on it, he refuses to look, knowing that to gaze upon it would be torture. But despite his reluctance, his resolve eventually cracks and when he turns back round he imagines what it would have been like to walk on the surface. It's a small moment of fantasy, but it brilliantly illustrates the joy that has been denied this man.
Less effective is the scene where Lovell explains the lunar landing to his son. The intention is okay  to make light of the risks for the sake of family  but the kid is a little too cutesy. And I also dislike the scenes with Lovell's mother. She's a dotty old woman and serves as the film's comic relief  she asks Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin whether they're part of the space programme. But the film should have either made her more believable or dispensed with her entirely.
Much more effective are the scenes with mission control. Ed Harris is great as always and there are some moments of real tension. Plus the scenes with mission control show what a team effort it was to bring the astronauts back home. And I even forgave the film scenes of mass whooping, because although a bunch of loud-mouthed Americans whooping usually irritates the hell out of me, I was almost joining in. I felt like punching the air when the rocket took off and I felt like raising the roof when the crew landed in the Pacific  finally here's something worth whooping about.
Another of the film's strengths is its attention to detail. All the technical jargon, all the confusing buttons and all the convoluted procedures have a convincing air of authenticity. And it also helps that some of the scenes were shot in zero G. It allows you to concentrate on the story (dodgy effects would have been a huge distraction). And the zero G produces a couple of wonderful moments, the first being Bill Paxton puking chunks (we've all wondered what weightless vomiting would look like) and the second occurring during the television broadcast that was ditched for baseball when Paxton throws his sunglasses at the camera  it captures the fun of space.
But really the film works best as the story of a bunch of guys trying to get back home (and it's apt that one of the craft was named Odyssey, as the journey has a lot in common with Homer's epic poem). And while that means that the film doesn't have a whole lot to say on an intellectual level, it works superbly on an emotional one.