TheMovieGeek: October 2013

Don't Let Go.

The moment I saw Gravity's trailer,it left me astonished 'cause the trailer made me believe that the film would be great.And the moment I left the cinema after the film,I was definitely stunned by the film's greatness.In case you don't know much about the film,Gravity is a 2013 space set drama-thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men),written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.The film is often categorized as a Sci-Fi,but I consider it to be a drama-thriller.

Damn.That exclusive IMAX poster is just stunning.So...here are the contributing factors of what makes this a review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Alright.Let's start.

Story:

Gravity's story is quite simple but yet,it's what makes it so ambitious.And yet so great.The plot is about a medical engineer and an astronaut who work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.So yeah,based on the plot description,the film would be about survival in space.And that's one of the best things about Gravity's plot.It's all about survival and hope.Not to mention that it's pretty realistic in terms of the film's overall atmosphere.Which all worked.The way Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron managed to keep the story simple but moving was perfect.Simple but masterful storytelling is what they had.The film's trailer and the poster above made it seem to have homages to the classic Sci-Fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey.And guess what? It seemed to did homage the said classic film.To be particular,the homage was the "astronauts drifting in space".And that homage was terrific and I definitely loved it since the film was really pushing hard to make itself a cinematic masterpiece like that one.And fortunately,it's starting to be one.But definitely,Gravity is no 2001 in terms of legacy and greatness.But it's just so good to see this film tributing such a loved classic.One thing I also thought about Gravity is that it would be another Apollo 13.Never could I be so wrong.It actually was better than Apollo 13 somewhat,somehow.What made it look so similar is the "survival in space" theme.But both differed regarding the way it was executed.Apollo 13 did it dramatically (mostly) but Gravity presented the space survival theme scarily.I really don't know what it is about it,but after seeing Gravity,I realized that getting lost in space (with or without a ship) was definitely no joke.It was scary to get lost in the dark reaches of space.So after watching Gravity,I immediately realized that it and Apollo 13 were two different films.But on which executed the "lost in space/survival" theme better,I would pick Gravity.Gravity did it better,but Apollo 13 will still have a special place in my heart.Kudos to Alfonso & Jonas Cuaron for making Gravity have basic but compelling & masterful storytelling.

Acting/Performances:

Gravity (literally) only consists of two A-list Hollywood stars,and I'm happy to say that both of 'em shined.In case you're asking who they are,they go by the names of the talented George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.And even Bullock is criticized by a lot of critics about her acting,she does a nice job in Gravity.I wanna talk about the performances formally,and I wanna start with George Clooney 'cause I wanna save Bullock for the best and last.First of all,Clooney is definitely a talented actor and in Gravity,he gets to show off again,only that he lacks screentime.But despite his short screentime,his character was likeable.Even though Clooney gets short screentime,the performances get redeemed by Bullock.Yes,you heard me right.Sandra Bullock.Bullock who mostly gets criticized for her bad acting redeems herself in Gravity.In my own honest opinion,I thought that her acting was outstanding.Her deliveration of lines/dialogue was terrific and her acting was really great when she was struggling in space throughout the film.She was able to let her emotions out,and her struggle affected my emotions.Therefore,she acted well and she definitely outshined co-star George Clooney.I can't help it,so Imma have to say she's worthy of Oscar gold.That's just my opinion.

Miscellaneous:

Gravity is just amazing in so many ways.All throughout the film,it didn't stop to impress and still continued to amaze me once I left the cinema.Everything about the film's technicality was astonishing.The cinematography,the score,the visuals and everything else.Gravity's cinematography was wonderful.The way the entire film was shot really made you feel like you were in space.The shots of Earth are definitely beautiful,but the shots where the debris were flying around and the astronauts struggle were even more fantastic.But one of my fave camera techniques in the film was the "rotation".You'll figure out what I'm talking about if you've seen the film or the trailers.Gravity didn't use a lot of scoring/music throughout the entire film but when it did,the score intensified the film's atmosphere a lot.The score broke the silence by getting louder and louder.I have to say that this film homages 2001 a lot specially by using a lot of silence.Nonetheless,the film's silence makes the film all the more eerie.For the visuals,that's what this film is rich in.I couldn't say a lot about the visuals because I only saw it in 2D.But all I could say is that the visuals were stunning and would really look great in 3D.Specially in IMAX 3D.Too bad I wasn't able to get the opportunity to see this in 3D.To shorten it up,Gravity might be this year's Life of Pi in terms of visual richness.One of the best things about Gravity is the overall tone and vibe.The fim is dramatic,suspenseful,eerie,dark and intense.And how they incorporated those elements altogether was just perfectly effective.

Direction/Director's Effort:

I don't know Alfonso Cuaron a lot,but all I could say is that he must've outdone himself by directing Gravity.He managed to make a film with 2 A-list Hollywood stars,apply stunning visuals,and homage a lot of space movies.And speaking of space movies,I honestly think that Gravity might be the best space movie yet (Not including 2001: A Space Odyssey).The film and the director is worthy to take home Oscar gold.

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PROS:

+ The film is just great.
+ The two Hollywood stars' performance were terrific.
+ Bullock's acting was top-notch and redeeming.
+ Amazing,astonishing,stunning visuals.
+ Visually rich.
+ Balances style and substance.
+ Pretty nice dialogue.
+ There are a lot of thrills.
+ The score was pretty good.
+ The drama,suspense,intensity,eerieness and dark tone makes the film better by heightening up the film's atmosphere

CONS:

- Clooney needed at least a bit more of screentime.
- Not that entertaining for those entertainment seekers.

Verdict:

Gravity's compelling storytelling,terrific performances and stunning visuals are enough to consider this as a modern masterpiece.But among all else,Cuaron's direction is amazing.Therefore,Gravity is a solid modern masterpiece.Among the many films released this year,this is one film not to miss.

Gravity gets a high-flying 8.8 stars over 10.Definitely see this in 3D.

*Gravity is still showing in 2D,3D and selected IMAX 3D theaters theatrically distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures .(Philippines) and rated PG-13 by the MTRCB.
**Looking for more space movies? Check out Apollo 13 and2001: A Space Odyssey.Those mentioned films are available to own on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed for home viewing by Magnavision Home Video.
That's all for now,MovieGeeks.Thanks for reading my review and stay tuned 'til my next.

For the meantime,why not take another look at this clip from the film:

*Film clip courtesy of Warner Bros.Pictures/Heyday Films.*

(C) 2013 Warner Bros.Pictures/Heyday Films.

TheMovieGeek

Sunday, October 13, 2013

DVD QuickPick: October 5,2013 (Late Post)

Saturday, October 12, 2013

FilmReviews: Gravity (2D)