“All parameters are normal.”

From Proxima.

For most of her life, Sarah (Eva Green) has been preparing for years to be France’s astronaut on the international space station, and finally all her training and work are about to pay off as she is selected for the next mission.  As a single mother, Sarah has also been trying to prepare her young daughter, Stella (Zélie Boulant-Lemesle), for everything that the next, final year of training will be like.  When Sarah’s training begins to intensify, she takes Stella to stay with her ex-husband, Thomas (Lars Eidinger), while Sarah travels to various training facilities all across the world.  While she gets on well with fellow mission crew member Anton (Aleksey Fateev), Sarah clashes with American astronaut Mike (Matt Dillon) who seems to doubt her abilities at every turn.  The longer Sarah is away for training, the more distant Stella grows even when the program chaperone, Wendy (Sandra Hüller), is able to bring the girl for short visits to her mother.  As the training increases in intensity, Sarah’s life becomes more stressed on every front, but her determination keeps her moving forward through the intense challenges.  Torn between the one thing she’s always wanted and the daughter that’s her whole world, Sarah is faced with major struggles to find a way to bring the two together before the fast-approaching mission launch.

While this movie provides an interesting look at the preparation process of astronauts, it is a very mellow film.  Green and Boulant-Lemesle both bring a somber display of emotions throughout the story that makes the film feel genuine, but also a bit drab at times.  Some viewers will find the movie’s sweet ending too impractical to be enjoyed, but others will enjoy what the scenes brings to the drama.  Proxima is an interesting movie that highlights the struggles of astronauts that are also mothers that have made history through their incredible sacrifices.