Dr. Isaac Bruno, an astronomer and astrophysics professor at Ontario University in Toronto, has been obsessed with needing to discover that there is life in the cosmos besides on Earth. This obsession has been a negative Catch-22 in his life: he has needed this focus to fill a void in his personal life following a tragedy that partly led to the dissolution of his marriage to fellow astronomer Dr. Rebecca Jenkins, while the frustration he has felt in such a discovery not yet having been made has resulted in him acting inappropriately in all aspects of his life. That professional behavior has in turn led to he being indefinitely suspended from the university, which also means no access to university resources or equipment hindering that search. It is bad timing as advances in telescope technology, such as TESS, not only provides much data to the community, but any evidence as to the possibility of life would provide access to that technology. Desperate for help without many resources, he advertises for an unpaid assistant, beyond the provision of room and board. The only application he receives is from Clara, an artist not only with no astrophysics background but little education let alone at a post-secondary level, she who he suspects is more interested in the room and board in being seemingly homeless. Beyond her dog Eeva, her prized possessions are a collection of rocks she carries with her everywhere, obtained most from her world travels, one from and indicative of each continent. Isaac ends up hiring her on her plea of hard work and learning fast. Regardless of what Isaac may or may not find with Clara's help, she, who has a keen sense of observation being an artist, may provide him with something more valuable for his life in a holistic sense.
Audience Reviews
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Directed by Akash Sherman, the 2018 film Clara distinguishes itself from the grand, visual-effects-heavy tropes of mainstream science fiction by focusing its lens on the depths of the human spirit and the vastness of the cosmos. The narrative follows Dr. Isaac Bruno, an obsessive astronomer consumed by personal grief who seeks purpose strictly through empirical data and the search for habitable exoplanets, and Clara, a nomadic artist who enters his life as a research assistant, viewing the world through an intuitive, artistic scope. As these two polar opposites collaborate on a hunt for distant worlds light-years away, their dynamic illustrates how scientific ambition and emotional vulnerability can harmoniously coalesce on a cosmic scale. One of the film's greatest strengths lies in its ability to take complex astronomical concepts and synthesize them with universal human experiences like love, loss, and existential solitude. The chemistry between Patrick J. Adams as the rigid, rationale-driven Isaac and Troian Bellisario as the free-spirited, enigmatic Clara feels deeply authentic, undoubtedly bolstered by the actors' real-life connection. The motion picture draws a poignant parallel between the cold, silent vacuum of outer space and the intricate, vulnerable pathways of the human heart, compelling the audience into a state of quiet contemplation. Technically, despite its modest budget, the film cleverly integrates real NASA and Hubble Telescope imagery with a minimalist visual aesthetic, establishing a serene and poetic atmosphere. The subtle musical score and sound design delicately mirror the characters' internal struggles and the majestic mystery of the universe. While the pacing occasionally slacks in the middle chapter and relies on a few predictable narrative beats, the film's emotionally resonant climax and its profound commentary on human connection far outweigh its minor shortcomings. Clara stands out as a graceful, thought-provoking independent sci-fi drama that honors both scientific truth and the intangible wonders of the soul.