American Astronaut, The

Aroview: Wobbling unusually between satire, male angst and experimental derring-do, this slice of outer orbit cinema is set in a grungy future existence of shuffling space-ships, barflies and very few women, underlain with a moody musical atmosphere and filmed in down-rent sets which avoid any pretence at 'futuristic-ness'.

Written, directed, scored and starring Cory McAbee (of the indie band the Billy Nayer Show), the story chiefly concerns the efforts of a galactic trader to swap various 'parcels' (including one said to contain a 'real live girl') on his way to the all-female planet of Venus, but getting sidetracked in various absurdist set-pieces. Consistently cock-eyed in its sense of humour, this sometimes overshoots into silliness, but mostly achieves its moody and original objectives.

NZ International Film Festival 2002