An obsessive astronomer and a curious artist form an unlikely bond which leads them to a profound, scientific discovery.
I’m a sucker for all things sci-fi, especially hard sci-fi, that deals with celestial themes like our place in the universe, as opposed to aliens zapping each other with lasers. Humanity’s search for life on other planets has sped up recently, with new technology allowing telescopes to discover potentially-habitable worlds hundreds of light years away. Akash Sherman’s “Clara” focuses on said developments, mixing speculative science with a love story, or more accurately, seeing one through the prism of the other. Sure, it verges on overly sentimental sometimes, and some the dialogue rings false, but this happens to be the exact kind of brainy, metaphysical flick I love, and Sherman gets a lot of the details right.
Dr. Isaac Bruno (Patrick J. Adams) teaches his “pretentious millennials” students about the Fermi paradox. When an ostentatious scholar suggests that Isaac should focus his futile search for other worlds on more fruitful things – such as “love” and “reproduction” – the professor gets defensive, going off about how relationships statistically lead to divorce and suicide. “Outer space is a safer bet,” Dr. Bruno concludes – until Clara (Troian Bellisario), beautiful painter of star constellations, further challenges his theories.
In his free time, Isaac searches for habitable planets, feloniously shifting government-issued telescopes to further his cosmos scouting. Coupled with his heated classroom debates, this leads to Isaac getting suspended. To avoid mourning the recent loss of his newborn child and the consequent departure of now-ex-wife Rebecca (Kristen Hagen), he posts an ad for an unpaid assistant researcher. Eventually, the phone-less, homeless world traveler and multi-linguist Clara appears on his front porch.
Of course, they end up being kindred souls – “Like you, I spend every day of my life wondering what could be out there,” Clara tells him. They set out on a quest is to discover a life-harboring planet, Bruno educating Clara on the go about things like quantum entanglement. Their misadventures involve sneaking into campus to use a powerful telescope and reconnecting with Isaac’s ex-wife (who happens to be a high-ranking scientist) for help. As their relationship develops, Isaac turns his search on advanced civilizations as opposed to mere habitability potential – but then truths surface about Clara’s “condition.”
Let’s get the cheesiness and obviousness out of the way. While most of the space, life and death discussions are intriguing, some dialogue falls flat on its face at the speed of light. “I’ve always had the feeling that the universe can still surprise us,” Clara states thoughtfully. “Raise your hand if you’ve ever been hurt by love,” Dr. Bruno asks his class earnestly. As they face each other, Bruno starts: “We find another Earth…,” and Clara finishes: “…we can find life.” The “twist” involving Clara’s condition is telegraphed way ahead of time, so it’s not only unsurprising, it’s rudimentary.
Those gripes aside, Sherman takes an admirable stab at some weighty themes, like faith and fate and science, and connecting with people on Earth vs seeking for answers in the heavens. He juxtaposes human birth with the discovery of life-carrying planets and the blossoming of love. A person’s closely-monitored lifeline resembles the fluctuating data sent from deep space. The ending is suitably emotional, uplifting and mysterious.
Both of the leads deliver strong performances. Bellisario’s audacious and vulnerable Clara makes us believe that she’d become the muse to the obsessive, sheltered, tortured-by-past Bruno, who, up until meeting her, has sought redemption in the heavens. The director captures a natural chemistry between them, whether they’re discussing space or listening to Bob Dylan.
The offspring of Robert Zemeckis’ “Contact” and Mike Cahill’s “Another Earth,” “Clara” showcases a filmmaking talent that shines like one of the distant stars it depicts.
In theaters and On Demand May 3rd
