Gravity
Sandra Bullock gives an excellent performance in what is one of the films of the year (2013). Cinematography will certainly deliver Gravity an Oscar, and I suspect Bullock will be in line for best actress in both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
Doctor Ryan Stone (Bullock) is on her first Space Shuttle mission, alongside George Clooney's veteran on his last mission. If that's all there was, that would be a tad boring, so for good measure a mass of space debris destroys the Shuttle, leaving Sandra and George alone in space, trying to survive.
There is nothing more that can be said without ruining the film, so tune out now for the spoiler.
Precise character exits
The timing of characters entering and leaving a film - dying or moving away is exceedingly important. Gravity achieves the masterfully in killing off George Clooney. As an actor he talks too much, being George Clooney - he does this here more than most films. Yet, he is obviously suave and has a particular quality about him that makes him the leading man in many situations. I suppose that veteran astronaut character had to be a reassuring type against Bullock's nervous and freaked out rookie character. Who else could they have cast? How about the guy who just retired from NASA - Chris Hadfield. Now that would have been a coup!
Strong, yet female leads
Too often films have protrayed female lead characters as just mirrors of male lead characters - having to engage in the same level of action, violence or problem-solving in the same way a male lead would. Or, like Angelina Jolie in her first outing as Lara Croft, they used the titilation aspect to woo male target audiences (not that I'm complaining).
Gravity moves away from this to show us a genuine female character, with genuine female reactions.
Shame about the dream sequence
The only superfluous scene I think in the entire movie is the 'dream' scene where Clooney's character magically reappears. Completely unnecessary in my view (maybe George had it written into his contract?).
Casablanca connection
You might think that George Clooney and Humphrey Bogart are the connection here, but I think it is Ingrid and Sandra. Would Ilsa have found her way out of Casablanca without Rick - I'd like to think so.
Oh yes, and Clonney's character reminded me of a cross between Rick and Ugarte. He just wouldn't shut up.
Rating: 5 out of 5. I f you see a film this year, make it this one. I think I'll go again, but this time in IMAX.
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| Sandra Bullock: Carrying a feature film without punching anyone. |
Sandra Bullock gives an excellent performance in what is one of the films of the year (2013). Cinematography will certainly deliver Gravity an Oscar, and I suspect Bullock will be in line for best actress in both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
Doctor Ryan Stone (Bullock) is on her first Space Shuttle mission, alongside George Clooney's veteran on his last mission. If that's all there was, that would be a tad boring, so for good measure a mass of space debris destroys the Shuttle, leaving Sandra and George alone in space, trying to survive.
There is nothing more that can be said without ruining the film, so tune out now for the spoiler.
Precise character exits
The timing of characters entering and leaving a film - dying or moving away is exceedingly important. Gravity achieves the masterfully in killing off George Clooney. As an actor he talks too much, being George Clooney - he does this here more than most films. Yet, he is obviously suave and has a particular quality about him that makes him the leading man in many situations. I suppose that veteran astronaut character had to be a reassuring type against Bullock's nervous and freaked out rookie character. Who else could they have cast? How about the guy who just retired from NASA - Chris Hadfield. Now that would have been a coup!
Strong, yet female leads
Too often films have protrayed female lead characters as just mirrors of male lead characters - having to engage in the same level of action, violence or problem-solving in the same way a male lead would. Or, like Angelina Jolie in her first outing as Lara Croft, they used the titilation aspect to woo male target audiences (not that I'm complaining).
Gravity moves away from this to show us a genuine female character, with genuine female reactions.
Shame about the dream sequence
The only superfluous scene I think in the entire movie is the 'dream' scene where Clooney's character magically reappears. Completely unnecessary in my view (maybe George had it written into his contract?).
Casablanca connection
You might think that George Clooney and Humphrey Bogart are the connection here, but I think it is Ingrid and Sandra. Would Ilsa have found her way out of Casablanca without Rick - I'd like to think so.
Oh yes, and Clonney's character reminded me of a cross between Rick and Ugarte. He just wouldn't shut up.
Rating: 5 out of 5. I f you see a film this year, make it this one. I think I'll go again, but this time in IMAX.
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