Clara is a film filled with science but is charmed by what might be described as a "cosmic accident."
Patrick J. Adams, best known for his role as Mike Ross on Suits on USA Network, plays Dr. Isaac Bruno. Dr. Bruno wants to find a planet that has life. As we discover early on, he also has gone through considerable heartbreak.
Enter Clara. She sits in his class. She answers his ad for an unpaid researcher. Clara isn't a scientist but she has been around the world. Her rock collection is simple and more extravagant than any rock collection you've encountered.
Dr. Bruno's obsession gets him fired from his job, so Isaac and Clara are underdogs looking for patterns in the sky.
Clara is the cosmic accident because she helps Isaac professionally and personally. She is a bit of Samantha Stephens without the nose twinkling. In a sea of female characters that are fairly invisible in film, Clara is the only reason anything happens in this film.
Troian Bellisario is Clara, a free-spirit artist with her own issues. Bellisario helps keep the mystery of Clara and portrays her as charming but not obnoxious about it. Bellisario comes by science and acting in part from her mother, Deborah Pratt, who among her many accomplishments was co-creator, co-executive producer, and head writer on Quantum Leap for NBC.
Adams and Bellisario are married in real life, something you might not be able to tell based on what happens on the screen. The chemistry isn't apparent but isn't crucial to the film.
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Akash Sherman weaves a story of science and art in writing and directing the film. Sherman makes Adams as Bruno as the centrepiece but is smart to surround him with well-crafted supporting characters. The supporting cast is full of strong Canadian actors, including Ennis Esmer, Jennifer Dale, R.H. Thomson, Kristen Hager, Will Bowes, and Kevin Hanchard.
The science is intriguing in the film but you'll likely enjoy the film more if you focus on Clara more than the science.
Clara played at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and has had a limited U.S. run.
video credit: YouTube/Movieclips Indie
photo credit: Clara film
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