The film explores the story of the mother and son, where the mother is a famous artist and therapist, and the son grows into a man who faces different paths. Along the way, the young journalist brings a meeting between the two that sets out the meaning of life and art while he is able to come up with answers to some questions and remove doubts that circulate in our tracks.
Llosa's film pushes its enigmatic and quietly brooding qualities to the point that it's inaccessible, despite some mildly intriguing spiritual story elements and skilled performances ...
An atmospheric but vague movie that functions like a therapy session, counseling acceptance and forgiveness via a storyline that seems pinched and forced in relation to the wide open spaces of the images.
Aloft can sometimes be too slow-paced and enigmatic for its own good, the presence of these two actors helps to elevate Llosa's film to a higher level of cinematic prowess.
Connelly, with her signature brand of serene toughness, does tragedy very well, but she doesn't really have a character to play here; just an endless series of tight close-ups and troubled expressions.
The truth is elusive, and so is Aloft. Maybe viewers will figure it out cleaner than this reviewer did. And maybe the best answers aren't served on platters.
The majority of the film strives for ethereal lyricism but the melodrama of these lives never proves strong enough to anchor any real emotional connection.
Some movies practically dare you to give up. "Aloft" is a beautifully shot, frustratingly vague and deeply ponderous mystery/spiritual journey about terminally unhappy souls.
Madison Movie
August 24, 2015
For much of the film, the audience is busy connecting dots between the two storylines to figure out what happened between mother and son. But the lines that get drawn are unsatisfying.
Aloft keeps us at a distance -- a problem for a film about spirituality that gives little critique or insight into the mythical healing process it is about.
