A Million Miles Away review – charming space biopic tells an inspiring story

A Million Miles Away , the Amazon biopic of the astronaut José Hernández , has all the ingredients of an inspiring, sanded-down success story.

It hits the usual beats of space heroism the ambition of a gravity-defying dream, the vaunted heroism of the space program, the sacrifices in the name of science and patriotism.

Director Alejandra Márquez Abella and screenwriters Bettina Gilois and Hernán Jiménez keep things moving at a brisk, chipper pace.

The final third of the film, once José makes it to Nasa , takes on a bit of the feel of Nasa PR.

Depending on your feelings about the space program, it could seem overdone, more motivational speech than movie.

Peña’s lived-in performance, and a sustained focus on the community supporting him, helps the film's climactic triumph feel earned.