KLARA AND THE SUN Never Quite Manages to Rise….

KLARA AND THE SUN is directed by Taiki Waititi. The film is based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel, and stars Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi, and Rachel House.

In the future, technological advances have resulted in concepts like the ability to “lift” someone’s mind to new heights, and the creation of android “best friend” companions. Ill girl Josie’s mother, doubting her daughter’s judgment, purchases her the android Klara, an eccentric, outdated model, although Josie and Klara become close friends despite this. Dealing with her illness, her peers, and her relationships with family and the boy she lives, Josie tries to live the best life possible, with the eccentric Klara going out of her way to do what she thinks will help her friend live the longest and happiest life possible.

KLARA AND THE SUN is based on the novel of the same name, though I admittedly haven’t read it. My knowledge of the movie was limited to a trailer I saw a few weeks ago, as well as knowing that it was going to be directed by the usually reliable Taiki Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, JOJO RABBIT) and starring the always entertaining Jenna Ortega. Ms. Ortega gives one of the best performances of her career as the titular android in KLARA AND THE SUN… but the movie fails to create any other likeable characters, content to recycle elements from other works and to introduce far too many plot points, overstuffing a movie that works best when it’s in “slice of life” mode.

Where KLARA AND THE SUN shines brightest (no pun intended) is its young star, Jenna Ortega. The film succeeds in this regard, showing the world through the eyes of a clumsy and eccentric robot girl with a big heart. We truly get the impression this young lady is well rounded despite her datedness (better robot models are on the market), and through it all, we as an audience like and bond with her. Whether it’s saying the most inappropriate, literal thing, treating the sun like it’s a God-like figure, trying to solve the puzzle of how to climb stairs, or mistaking street sweepers and harvesters for unholy beasts, Ortega’s performance is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. She’s the one thing that movie has going for it.

So… why isn’t there a single other character in the movie we care about as an audience? A-lister actress Amy Adams plays Josie’s mother, who the movie not only makes unlikeable from the beginning, but by the end of the movie, we somehow care for her even less! Even Josie herself, despite her illness and hardships, fails to come off as a sympathetic character due to her behavior throughout the movie. She’s supposed to have a relationship (or at least want one) with a neighbor boy, but he doesn’t get enough screen time or development to make this work. There’s even a subplot involving mysterious schemes purported by a character played by legendary character actor Steve Buscemi… but it’s literally relegated to a handful of short scenes and he barely gets a chance to make an impression. A scene with a party full of other “lifted” kids who’ve had their intelligence boosted like Josie feels hilarious in an unintentional, campy way, in one of the movie’s most cringe moments.

The movie has an interesting futuristic setting, and seeing it through the eyes of Klara is entertaining… but there’s simply not enough world building. Is it a utopia? Is it a dystopia? Somewhere in between? The production design isn’t half bad, but it ultimately leaves more questions than answers… with the movie’s final scenes continuing to raise unanswered questions the movie didn’t need.

Perhaps the biggest sin KLARA AND THE SUN commits is that it tries to reach too far and doesn’t keep things simple. The movie’s strongest moments are the domestic slice-of-life elements which there simply aren’t enough of. The movie didn’t need a ridiculous number of subplots and characters it doesn’t follow through on. Taiki Waititi understands humor better than most directors out there today… but even he can’t quite make this material work (though I won’t deny a few one-liners and moments did get some laughs out of me). What should be emotional and heartfelt comes off more lifeless and dull than the outdated androids we see on screen, with many elements rehashed from far better stories.

When the sun sets on KLARA AND THE SUN, we’re not left with much but a strong performance from Jenna Ortega. It’s a shame she has to share the screen with superb actors who are given one-dimensional forgettable roles, and more subplots than this story knows what to do with. It may be worth streaming when it hits home formats, but it’s not worth rushing to the theater for.