The Aeronauts 2019

     This film actually is a historical biography of James Glaisher.  He was an early balloonist and he broke the world record for altitude in the 1860’s.  The filmmakers have completely removed his solitary flight companion Henry Coxwell.  He was the man who ensured the success of the mission and saved both of their lives.  Instead, a completely fictional female character, Amelia Rennes has been inserted?  She takes over the proceedings and also narrates the film.  At the film’s conclusion, Glaisher stands before the Royal Society and thanks his fictional Indian friend and the fictional Rennes?  He says he couldn’t have done the flight without them?  He is saying this even though they don't exist?  The ending is an implied romantic relationship between Glaisher and Rennes.  The real life Glaisher had been married for over 20 years to Cecilia Belville.  She was an interesting woman but now edited out of history altogether?  The bottom line, is it OK to fake a real story??  And, does the woman’s name have to be Amelia because of Amelia Earhart??
     Released by Amazon Prime and the BIG question is, why make up a fake story when there was a real story?  Does it somehow help the advancement of women to add a female balloonist in a fake story?  The biggest complaint in reviews for this film is the fairness of the story?  The film does have good chemistry between Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.  It does have great cinematography and breathtaking imagery.  It makes you feel like you are at 39,000 feet but amazingly you are not freezing and getting frostbite!!  There are other complaints about Felicity Jones’ character being bossy and she would not have been a bossy woman in the 1860’s?  It is possible that there could have been at least one bossy woman??  4* (I liked this movie) 

100  min, Action directed by Tom Harper with Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Lewin Lloyd, Phoebe Fox, Rom Courtenay, Vincent Perez, Tim McInnerny, Rebecca Front, Anne Reid, Robert Glenister, Julian Ferro, Gianni Calchetti, Mia Hemerling, Kamil Lemieszewski.

Note:  Amazon 4* out of 5* with 640 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 72% critic with 163 reviews 95% audience with 37 ratings, Roger Ebert 2 1/2* Monica Casatillo, Imdb 6.6 out of 10 with 4676 reviews, Metacritic 60 out of 100 with 36 critics (22 positive, 11 mixed, 3 negative) 5.9 out of 10 user score (10 positive, 3 mixed, 4 negative), Letterboxd 3.2* out of 5*, Flickering Myth Rating Film 3*/ Movie 4*.

Special Note:  Sophie Blanchard was a French aeronaut who was the first woman to work as a professional balloonist between 1804 and her death in 1819.  Redmayne and Jones actually flew in the gas balloon in the film to roughly 3000 feet.  The 1862 flight of James Glaisher and Henry Coxwell is realistically replicated.  I did not notice this myself but Amelia’s unshaven armpits are correct for the time period and women didn’t begin to shave until the 1910’s.  Redmayne had a small injury during filming a scene on the balloon and badly sprained his ankle.  He had to use a crutch and a cast for a few days.  The balloon flight takes place in real time.  The balloon was actually launched from Wolverhampton in the midlands and not London.  This was due to a fear that if they launched in London, they could go off course and land in the river.  Henry Coxwell was 43 and James Glaisher was 53.  They were 7 and 16 years older than Jones and Redmayne.