Living in cynical times with the nation taken over by CAA-NRC rhetoric, lethal mix of politics with religion Othering and dividing the population, what could be more satisfying than watching movies that gives you hope and make you feel positive. As Amelia Wren and James Glaisher soar up in the skies to fly higher than anyone else in history and advance scientific discovery overcoming challenges, it did provide a ray of hope. In Helen, an ordinary suburban girl survives through her cold predicament, while her loved ones are in a desperate search of her whereabouts.  We are so drawn to our differences and inner hatred, but as these two movies show, all we need to do is to look up, look around and Be Kind. And yes, Smile.

Helen, a simple survival thriller, works mainly because of the writing and strong performances by Anna Ben and Lal. First half moves like a family drama and takes its time to setup the character arcs. Father-daughter relationship, Paul’s smoking problem, Paul being a staunch Christian, Helen’s nature of kindness and strength, Azhar’s character, are well detailed. Why the fast food joint’s manager gets angry with his employees? We are not told but given the details. I found it so fun connecting these dots. These character arcs are effectively integrated into the screenplay in the second half when the story switches to a survival thriller. Helen never resorts to melodrama, like the initial police station episode where the emotions gets underplayed and with restraint. Second half intercuts between Helen’s survival efforts and desperate search for her by loved ones. Only sore point that didn’t work for me is the bad cop character. I can understand it is added to get some suspense, movie would have worked well without that character too. While there is inventiveness in how Helen survives through the ordeal, there is no heroic acts like other survival movies. What saves Helen is her nature, kindness, and smile. May be Being Kind is what it takes to be superhuman.

Official Trailer: Helen

The Aeronauts tells the story of a flamboyant Amelia Wren, dare devil balloon pilot, who along with pioneer meteorologist James Glaisher go on a gas balloon expedition to achieve something phenomenal, to travel to heights no man or woman has ever reached before. As they ascend higher and higher, they fight against thunderstorms, rain, wind, and severe cold. Movie is marketed as based on real events but it is only half the story. James Glaisher did go up in balloon, equipped with pigeons and his instruments, did his measurements, did pass out, and broke the world record but not with Amelia Wren but with Henry Tracy Coxwell. Amelia Wren character is a fictional one, a composite character inspired by real life women balloonists and the name Amelia, I guess, is a tribute to Amelia Earhart, the pioneering women aviator. If you are willing to gloss over the fictional part as creative license, the movie is a great watch. While it would have been a great experience to watch it in big screen, it still works well as long as you have a decent home theater. Movie doesn’t waste time in setting up the story, it gets the adventure going and intercuts between the ascend and their back story. As they continue their death-defying journey, they not only discover things about the atmosphere, they also discover things about themselves. Outstanding performances from Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne. Visuals are stunning, authentic, and beautifully shot, they leave us with a sense of wonder about the sky. And then there is the message about what we humans can achieve if we are willing to work together 😀

Official Trailer: The Aeronauts