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Slow-moving sci-fi. It made me wonder whether Clooney was trying to make his own Solaris here, sadly his skills aren't really on par with Soderbergh's. While The Midnight Sky definitely has its moments, there are some rather cheesy twists and the two-films-into-one structure isn't entirely successful either. Earth is ruined. Rather than go home and spend his last moments with others, Augustine decides to remain in his station on the North Pole. There he tries to contact Ether, a spaceship on its way back home. The people on it are unaware of the problems on Earth, Augustine does his best to warn them so they have a shot at survival. The film looks nice enough and the performances are solid, but the harsh split between barren North Pole trek and space adventure (both with predictable challenges and outcomes) doesn't do the film any favors. It feels too rushed, which is pretty weird for a film that is otherwise quite glacial. Quite moody and mysterious, but it lacks finesse.Read all
A solid black comedy that thrives on good performances and a decent crime story. The 50s suburban setting is nice, the two different plot lines (a black family moving in and an insurance scam next door) next truly seem to belong to the same film though. Not Clooney's best film, but he rarely seems to disappoint as a director.
A fun and pleasant film that inherits much of Clooney's charm and charisma. It's all very slick and light, forgoing real drama for wit and comedy, but I actually prefer it that way. These films are rarely very deep or impressive, better just make the best of the situation and go for some genuine amusement. Not bad.