Proxima

Astronaut and single mother Sarah (Eva Green) faces a tough choice when a mission to a space station demands she be parted from her young daughter for more than a year in this pensive science-fiction drama. As she undergoes rigourous training in the months leading to lift-off, Sarah becomes more acutely aware of the sacrifices she'll have to make. What doesn't help is facing the derision of a male colleague (Matt Dillon) who believes she's not cut out for the job. It's tempting to draw parallels between director Alice Winocour's film and other starbound sagas like First Man or Ad Astra, although arguably a female protagonist makes for a more emotional story, albeit one that occasionally lapses into soap opera sentimentality. Green is a powerful presence throughout and the tug-of-war between professional commitment and parental responsibility is etched on her expressive face, while Zélie Boulant-Lemesle pulls at the heartstrings as her wise-beyond-her-years pragmatic offspring.