TIFF 2019: LUCY IN THE SKY: Noah Hawley’s Directorial Debut Is As Vacant As Its Subject

Lucy in the Sky was one of my more anticipated films of TIFF this year. Noah Hawley has created some fine TV work in the past few years, including the great series Fargo and the more mixed bag but still amusing Legion. To see him translate his style to the big screen was something to look forward to. It was my third day at TIFF, and my first movie of the morning. And although the negative reviews had started pouring in just the night before, I still attempted to approach it with an unbiased point-of-view.

I regret to inform you, though, that Lucy in the Sky is just as underwhelming as it has been made out to be. It has some praiseworthy attributes, to be sure, but it’s all muddled up within a screenplay that doesn’t quite know where it’s going, and a tone that is all over the spectrum. Let’s get more into it.

Based on a True Story

Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman) is an astronaut that has recently returned to Earth. She seemingly lives a normal life outside of her career alongside her husband Drew (Dan Stevens) and daughter Iris (Pearl Amanda Dickson). Yet, she soon comes to find that her experiences in space have vastly changed her,  which leads to her being able to relate most closely to other astronauts, including the handsome Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm). The two begin an affair, yet Lucy gets increasingly more chaotic when she finds that even Mark is pulling away from her.

Based on a true story: it’s a line that is often used, albeit for comical effect, in Hawley‘s Fargo. Yet here, it’s used more literally. Lucy in the Sky is based on story of Lisa Nowak, a former astronaut who subsequently was involved in various crimes while she was back on Earth, including kidnapping and assault. Some elements are present here, although some have been changed as well. Either way, it’s unclear just what exactly Hawley was hoping to say with this story.

To gaze out from space at our own world is something that clearly must change your perspective on things; in Lucy in the Sky, Hawley attempts to examine this idea through the character of Lucy, as a possible explanation for why Lisa Nowak did what she did. Yet, it’s never really elaborated upon. Lucy swings chaotically back and forth between feeling alienated by her experiences and likewise abandoned by those around her. So is it her otherworldly experiences that led to her choices, or what people do to her back on Earth? The answer is never exactly clear.

In addition, none of this can fully explain why she makes the final choices that she does. By the time we get to the conclusion of the film, it has gone so far out of whack that it’s hard to walk away feeling in any way satisfied by the turn of events.

Visual Style Clashes

Noah Hawley‘s visual style is also somewhat out of alignment with the ideas of Lucy in the Sky. Some distinctive elements carry over from his TV shows, such as his use of unusual camera angles, slow-motion, transitional flashbacks and more, all coming together to give a sense that things aren’t quite what they seem to be.

But, once again, it’s not enough. As opposed to being committed to this style, the film often just flits back to a normal, albeit off-putting drama about a bizarre love triangle. It’s not nearly as weird as it could’ve been, and that’s something I didn’t think I would say about Noah Hawley.

Natalie Portman (and Company) Deserved Better

Above all else, I was sincerely hoping that Natalie Portman, who is consistently amongst the best actors in most projects she stars in, would at least make this film watchable. But, through no fault of her own, Lucy in the Sky wastes her considerable talent. For one, the dialogue that she is given is sometimes so comically out of place that it’s a testament to her ability that she commits to the lines. In comparison, Jon Hamm isn’t given a particularly heavy role, but even he isn’t forced to say some of the lines that Portman does.

Also, Lucy in the Sky happened to be the second movie almost in a row that unfortunately underused Zazie Beetz, the other being Joker. She’s at least given a bit more to do here, but it’s still not worthy of her talent.

Conclusion: Lucy in the Sky 

To conclude, Lucy in the Sky is an unfortunate misstep for Noah Hawley. It takes his visual style and attempts to transfer it to a story that is as chaotic in tone as the real Lisa Nowak’s criminal activities were. Far from working, though, it instead clashes, making the film’s end result far from effective. Hawley’s cinematic career may be off to a bumpy start, but hey, we’ve always got Fargo.

Are you looking forward to Lucy in the Sky? Are you a fan of Noah Hawley’s TV work?

Lucy in the Sky will be released in the U.S. on October 4, 2019 and in the UK on December 6. For all international release dates, click here.