Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Disturbing yet enthralling

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

"Aloft" is one of those films that it is impossible to write a synopsis. The screenplay is so messy that the viewer will probably ask in the end of the movie what the story is about. There are heartbreak moments, like for example when Ivan asks his little brother Gully to jump off the truck that is sinking in a frozen lake. But the story is a whole is a complete mess. It is also heartbreaking to see Jennifer Connelly, Mélanie Laurent, Cillian Murphy among others wasted in such a bad film. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "Marcas do Passado" ("Marks from the Past")

After watching this a second time, I wanted to jot down a word or two or three--especially after reading some critics' reviews.Films have such a unique effect on each individual that I don't really vibe with the word "review" when reading people's comments. I always view them rather as our opinions, feelings and interpretations of a movie--I know that's not an earth-shattering new thought or anything...Thank god for films like this. Amongst the world of overly-saturated big-budge moneymakers, I relish these types of films, always have. Sure, this may not be the most forthcoming and understandable film right out the gate; but with an open mind and a desire for unique storytelling, this film can speak volumes to a viewer. The cinematography (esp. close-up shots) and acting alone are some of the finest pieces of art I've seen. I'm also slightly biased as I am a mad fan of all three main cast members; their performances are so incredibly real as they disappear so seamlessly into their characters that I can be truly convinced they are living this story.Each character is so tragically beautiful and strong, but it's Mélanie's character that I resonate with the most--being young and dealing with an illness, trying to mask it and stay strong to reach whatever goal it is you can possible accomplish to heal yourself. I have lived my own version of this, and she performed it f*cking beautifully.Yes I had some trouble following along the first time through, but I just went with it--there was something about this film that I was OK doing that, letting the story guide me and not inserting my judgments along the way, which is not always the case with me and other movies. It's hard to explain. Even if it's a challenge to grasp the overarching themes/meaning of a film, identifying with or relating to just one element in a story can be enough to strike a cord and change something about a person, in the way they think or go about life or, etc. That's the beauty of storytelling. Also, after reading other comments, it sounds like I may have not viewed the director's cut, but a 15-min shorter version, which is a bummer because I was feeling like something wasn't being shown between Cillian's & Mélanie's characters when it seemed like they became incredibly close through their journey together towards the end. I could tell there was probably something going on between them, but the other scenes alluding to this weren't enough for me. Hoping to see a non-US version eventually.

This was a good watch but there were so many parts that didn't make sense. After watching the film, I came online to read what people had to say and behold! I was right, some key parts were missing from the US theatrical version, at least fifteen minutes of footage was left on the cutting room floor and I feel they should have at least left in the part where grown up Ivan (Cillian Murphy) and the journalist (Mélanie Laurent) had an affair. It would have explained why he suddenly became affectionate towards her (this alone changed the course of the movie without rhyme or reason) in the final quarter of the film as well as made the story come full circle with the issue of abandonment that seemed to plague Ivan's lineage. The main characters were mostly unlikable but the actors behind them were good enough in the roles to keep you interested in what happens next. All in all it was definitely worth the watch and not as bad as it was reviewed.

I was anxiously awaiting the release of Aloft in the US because I really enjoy the work of the two lead actors, Jennifer Connelly and Cillian Murphy. The film was in competition at the Berlin Film Festival last year so, there were plenty of reviews out there for me to read beforehand. I finally had a chance to watch it and in my opinion the critics missed the point of this film. They were in search of obvious plot points and cleanly presented character arcs. But, there is none of that. It is a melancholy film to be sure. The characters are existing in an environment lacking love, levity, hope and basic comfort (beautifully realized by the bleak environment of the frozen wilds of Canada.) Jennifer Connelly's character, Nana, is a single mother raising two boys; Gully who is terminally ill and Ivan who is woefully unloved and overlooked. Nana is not a sympathetic character in the least. She sees her circumstances as permission to inflict whatever poor choices she wishes on those around her and her choices run the gamete of self-indulgent to self- destructive. When she chooses to leave Ivan her rationalizations are flimsy and cruel and really only a justification for her to "get out" and put herself first. Cillian Murphy is subtly enthralling as a grown up Ivan. Raised in an environment of very little joy Ivan progresses from an unhappy, sullen boy into a short-tempered, hermit of a man that seethes with anger and distrust. There are moments throughout the film that show Ivan's vulnerability and capacity for sweetness. Like when he is training his beloved falcon or playing with his own son. But, he is damaged and guarded. The result of being unloved and discarded. The story is told in two separate timelines approximately 20 years apart and flashbacks help fill in the story of the boys before they are separated from their mother. Details are few and the circumstances of what caused the rift between Nana and Ivan are not fully realized until the end. I do feel like the depiction of the characters, flawed as they are, was realistic. Their choices were selfish, rooted in anger and hurt. But, it is a picture of the pain of physical and emotional abandonment and ultimately survivor's guilt. It shows that the choices that we make profoundly affect those around us and those ripples can be felt for a lifetime. There are no happy endings or neatly defined explanations for why people do what they do to the people that they love, this film depicts that ambiguity in a lovely way.