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Space Cowboys
Directed By Clint Eastwood
Space Cowboys, by and starring Clint Eastwood, is a relaxed and funny movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. The film follows the training of a group of retired would-be astronauts who are only ones capable of repairing a satellite threatening to fall to earth. Does that sound familiar? It should, since above all Space Cowboys is a satire of Armageddon.
The film is Eastwood's best accomplishment since his magnum opus, Unforgiven. While his two previous films lacked punch and were a little too conventional, here Eastwood returns to favorite themes, in particular to the self-mockery that has accompanied him throughout his career, from The Outlaw Josey Wales to the obvious Unforgiven. Speaking of the latter, Space Cowboys is the the meeting between Unforgiven and Armageddon (Space + Old Cowboys!). In effect, Eastwood does a satire of the "Space Movie" genre while tolling the knell, as he did with the western in Unforgiven. The statement is clear: everything has been rehashed many times over, as indicated by The Right Stuff, Apollo 13 and Armageddon.
The film takes off from an actual event and develops a story rendered even more plausible given John Glenn's recent sojourn into space.
Eastwood plays an old pilot who was dismissed from History's first voyage into space in favor of a chimpanzee. This missed opportunity has gnawed at him and his old team ever since, and when the chance to have a second go at it is presented decades later, he jumps at the opportunity, even resorting to blackmail so they can finally achieve their dream. The team is made up of a daredevil pilot (Tommy Lee Jones), a skirt chasing navigator (Donald Sutherland) and a specialist converted into a preacher (James Garner). The film serves as a pretext to follow their physical training, making a lot of irony-laced fun of these four retirees as well as of NASA's bureaucracy. The Aged 4 have a sacred bond: their interaction monopolizes the screen and carries all the humor of the film. A good laugh is had when watching their difficulties while training and their rebellious behaviour opposite the NASA machine. The second half of the film is more serious and follows the events of their mission into space. Irony is nevertheless present in the second degree, since the mission, the situations's reversal, and its consequences are strangely close to Armageddon. Except for one difference: the film avoids spending too much time on and building up explosions and special effects. And the final sacrifice is sent back directly to Willis's Armageddon by taking another route. This sacrifice appears as a non-event and ignores the ususal lacrimal effusions. The last scene, deliberately unreal and poetic, only confirms the irony of Eastwood's project vis-à-vis the cliches of the genre.
Eastwood touches upon the Cold War and its contemporary consequences as a theme. He also takes aim at Corporate America through its "team player" motto. More than once Eastwood's character is reproached for not being a "team player". An undoubtedly double-edged remark when one knows that throughout his career the actor has played solitary heros, that these anti-hero choices went against Hollywood stereotypes, and so he has always distinguished himself from the rest of the industry (even filming westerns in Italy!).
As for the actors, they have fun with this one. Eastwood leads the game, taking back his scowl and grumpy air from Unforgiven. He mocks his own old age and chips at his glamourous and virile image. Tommy Lee Jones, who for once does not play the stubborn cop in pursuit of an innocent man, even entertains us at times with his accent, an unlikely bet for such an uncharismatic actor. But it's certainly Donald Sutherland who has the winning card (He already played alongside Eastwood in Kelly's Heroes). His role as an eccentric skirt chaser who doesn't want to grow old is enjoyable and brings the best outbursts of laughter. Finally, James Garner, who stands a few steps behind the rest, comes to complete this band of old guys from the old school. In a word: self-mockery. The film could not work without the good humor of this four fellows who truly enjoy themselves. And it shows.
Space Cowboys is a simple but effective film that fully carries out its real mission: to entertain us with a touch of sarcasm. We shall hope that after this Hanks will hang up his spacesuit and Hollywood will stop unloading the conquest of space on us since....that famous chimpanzee.
Fred Thom
 Mystic River
Blood Work
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Space Cowboys review
