The Aeronauts (2019)

Directed by: Tom Harper | 100 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Phoebe Fox, Vincent Perez, Lewin Lloyd, Robert Glenister, Tim McInnerny, Thomas Arnold, Tom Cournenay, Anne Reid, Lisa Jackson, Rebecca Front, Elsa Alili, Connie Price, Bella

You may not think about it every day, but the weather forecast – now an essential source of information not only for many professions, but also for the ordinary citizen – has not been around for very long. In the nineteenth century, this science was still in its infancy. It is therefore not surprising that the British James Glaisher (1809 – 1903), a meteorologist, was treated to laughter by fellow scientists during his treatise on the importance of forecasting the weather. Whether this actually happened remains to be seen, but such a scene in ‘The Aeronauts’ forms the basis for our understanding of history.

So ‘The Aeronauts’ is about James Glaisher, and his tireless efforts to develop his passion. The film’s story is highly romanticized. There is a big part in the plot for the fictional female pilot Amelia Wren, with whom James makes his first balloon flight, but in reality James took off with Henry Coxwell. The character Amelia is based on the French aeronaut Sophie Blanchard. Apart from the fact that you can now only label ‘The Aeronauts’ as a tribute to James Glaisher and the important scientific work he has done, rather than also acknowledging Coxwell’s part, this change is justifiable.

Amelia Wren is an interesting character: she appears – literally – on the scene with a lot of flair and fanfare. Her sense of theater and drama gives the audience, who have gathered at a grand fairground to witness the balloon flight, a lot of enthusiasm and ohs and ahs. Obviously the characters of the stiff James and the outgoing Amelia clash, but we get enough empathy for both. Through well-timed flashbacks we learn more about their background and motivation.

Much of ‘The Aeronauts’ takes place in the sky. Visual aids keep the viewer informed (no pun intended) of the data: the elapsed time, the altitude, the temperature. While you can feel that this was all filmed in front of a green screen, it hardly feels that way and the hardships and setbacks manage to grip the viewer. ‘The Aeronauts’ doesn’t lose any of its suspense and the fact that many of the events seem to take place in real-time helps. Add to that the fact that the two stars of the film – Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones – can be sent on a message: all feelings and emotions pass by: from childish pleasure to terror and with this film by Tom Harper (‘Wild Rose ‘) a great adventure that also offers you insight into the history of science.