tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post224899515176213958..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: IRRESISTIBLE FORCETimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-41313182963645731182014-02-25T07:02:23.916-06:002014-02-25T07:02:23.916-06:00Watching the little Behind the Scenes vignette tha...Watching the little Behind the Scenes vignette that was uploaded to Youtube a few days back, I was astonished to find that many of the interiors were actually CGI. An astonishing use of the technology.<br />Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07386123400328351254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-75581045816826826982013-10-23T02:51:20.129-05:002013-10-23T02:51:20.129-05:00I want to read a review that focuses entirely on t...I want to read a review that focuses entirely on the sound mix. Make it so.Vianneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10456600888652409290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-9542146791148780802013-10-19T01:40:05.403-05:002013-10-19T01:40:05.403-05:00There were several allusions to the foetus and bir...There were several allusions to the foetus and birth. Life esp. LIVING was its main theme. I wrote about it here.<br />http://wdatc.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-mother-birth-and-life-gravity.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06230153409374420914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-74045865370570835602013-10-13T22:27:44.262-05:002013-10-13T22:27:44.262-05:00The phrase "medium close-up of Earth" ma...The phrase "medium close-up of Earth" makes me laugh. In a good way. Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07573022985434913749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-13958486838981072482013-10-12T02:05:04.471-05:002013-10-12T02:05:04.471-05:00When I last left a movie theater a few weeks ago, ...When I last left a movie theater a few weeks ago, I didn't really think there was any chance that something would come along and top The World's End for my own personal #1 movie of 2013.<br /><br />Holy fuck was I ever wrong.<br /><br />I was shaking for an hour+ after this movie was over. God fucking damn. That is great film-making. Just... <br /><br />I used to dream as a kid of going into outer space. Any vestiges of that dream were murdered tonight by Alfonso Cuaron, Sandra Bullock, and George Clooney.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546972990126033036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-36557529116139446282013-10-10T02:02:39.516-05:002013-10-10T02:02:39.516-05:00Just, Fuck, I loved this so much! My beef with 3D ...Just, Fuck, I loved this so much! My beef with 3D movies has always been that the editing doesn't work, because that's not how we experience three-dimensional spaces. This movie solved that problem and then some, such a leap forward.DeeperUnderstandinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695676143494404083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-78639176971234465972013-10-09T11:27:33.283-05:002013-10-09T11:27:33.283-05:00* my preceding comment was directed at David, not ...* my preceding comment was directed at David, not Brian. Don't know where that came from. It'd be great to have an edit function on the comments.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634087887519608773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-57671495297307771192013-10-08T22:29:56.344-05:002013-10-08T22:29:56.344-05:00@David Great comment about the backstory, which is...@David Great comment about the backstory, which is the primary criticism of the film I keep encountering. Even while I agree that the screenplay is probably the weakest part of the film, the thematic directness and lack of nuance really worked for me. I think I'd probably get to the heart of my issues pretty quickly if my survival literally depended on figuring out what to do from second to second. The overwhelming bluntness of the theme (heh, her daughter was essentially killed by gravity and now Ryan lives without it), combined with that bombastic score, and the visceral theme-park thrill ride aspect cohered into a singular experience that was unlike anything I've felt in years. To me, it read like a tone poem about grief and the way it unmoors you from reality and the decision everyone has to make about whether to continue on or not - To be or not to be, etc. Sure it's not the most original theme, but what a fantastic milieu in which to explore those feelings. After all the contemplation and study of space is nothing if not the study of our existence. <br />But really it's just a survival story done exceedingly well. And also a bunch of overt evolution symbolism that I don't know what to make of yet.<br /><br />I need to go see it again!Woodsidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08572665235066066622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-41837685601543177032013-10-08T21:09:11.249-05:002013-10-08T21:09:11.249-05:00SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER
I just saw this movie a...SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I just saw this movie and liked it, though I wasn't as enraptured as some. But here's one thing I really liked: the way that Clooney's character, in dying, didn't have any kind of dramatic exit: he just drifted off into space and was gone, the way anyone would in real life. That impressed me, and drove home the reality of the film's world.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-21327148188698809152013-10-08T18:44:12.820-05:002013-10-08T18:44:12.820-05:00@ Brian,
I don't think anyone would argue tha...@ Brian,<br /><br />I don't think anyone would argue that this movie isn't a great technological feat; I was suitably impressed and awed throughout as well as being very tense.It's really only the superlatives being bandied about by critics that put a lot of people more on guard. Even Tim's review says that no film could really live up to the hype. I doubt many people would actually say this was a poorly done film but now that it's pretty much unanimous that Cuaron set a new standard for special effects people are looking beyond the effects to the story they tell: there are legitimate criticisms on that front. However, like I said before, it's not like the flaws cripple the movie and it's undoubtedly great. I know I'll be catching it at least once more in theatre. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634087887519608773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-76193479852626587062013-10-08T18:14:45.633-05:002013-10-08T18:14:45.633-05:00I think you'd like to know that Buzz freakin&#...I think you'd like to know that Buzz freakin' Aldrin is a fun of <i>Gravity</i>, Tim:<br /><br />http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gravity-review-by-astronaut-buzz-639883Mysterious F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08290239526984106990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-69892059504172627112013-10-08T14:31:57.669-05:002013-10-08T14:31:57.669-05:00"I treat the Oscars like a spectator sport&qu..."I treat the Oscars like a spectator sport"<br /><br />As should we all, and the film-watching internet would be an incomparably healthier, happier place.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-85355734700838110262013-10-08T09:03:36.883-05:002013-10-08T09:03:36.883-05:00Wow, I'm amazed at the backlash already kickin...Wow, I'm amazed at the backlash already kicking in about this movie. I mean, I'm not gonna go all BEST MOVIE EVER on it, since it's really only trying to be a gut wrenching thriller. But what a thriller!<br /><br />The only movie I can think of that affected me physically to this extent is Day Night Day Night, and that film only in it's climactic section. Gravity was nerve-ripping throughout. <br /><br />People complain about the sentimental or dramatic sections, but as far as I'm concerned those needed to be there just so that the audience could catch their breath. And yes, the music and the dialogue are manipulative. But it WORKS, dammit. Yes, you could poke holes in the science of the scenario by rigorously analyzing it. Why would you? Why kill the things we love?<br /><br />As for Bullock, I agree, this isn't Best Actress material. But I don't think that's really a shortcoming. We're supposed to identify with Ryan, that's the most important thing about her character. We're literally inside her head at some points. Bullock's everywoman quality really helps.<br /><br />And for what it's worth, I even found the backstory about her daughter to be thematically appropriate. Ryan struck me as a textbook scientist, but the sudden, unpredictable death of her daughter was something she just could sort out. Hence her habit of driving aimlessly, somehow reliving the moment when she learned about her daughter's death. Observing it, perhaps, trying to come up with some context that never arrived.<br /><br />The sudden nature of her daughter's death seemed to dovetail with the situation Ryan herself wound up in. One minute you're fine, the next you're drifting in space alone and everyone on your ship is dead. In short, it was an emotional grab, but not nearly as off-putting to me as it seems to be to others.<br /><br />Too long of a comment perhaps, but it was a pretty damn good movie. Expect some Oscars, and a nomination for Bullock (maybe even Clooney). Not that I think either was earth-shatteringly good, but I treat the Oscars like a spectator sport... their odds of getting a nom are good :)David Greenwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03666205737413060006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-30238469428268998162013-10-07T22:26:35.951-05:002013-10-07T22:26:35.951-05:00Hype can does funny things to people's minds. ...Hype can does funny things to people's minds. That's why I completely avoid reading a full review of a film before actually watching them. Many people have already came to me and said, "Meh, it's nice-looking, but..." about Gravity, the same way people said "Meh...it's not THAT scary." about The Conjuring AFTER all the hype.<br /><br />I enjoyed Gravity a lot. Watching it with somebody I care a lot probably helped;we're holding hands by the end of it, mentally willing the character to make it. Yes, some of the lines are annoying and I'm aware that my emotion is being manipulated, but it worked out very well.<br /><br />It's really not about the gorgeous special effect (which, of course, will become dated) to me; it's about how it worked IN CONJUNCTION with the characters' situation, the conflict set-up (which, let's face it, has to sacrifice some amount of realism and I'm completely fine with it), the camera movement, and such. The result is a string of terrific set-pieces and a great isolation thriller; treat it as it is instead of some cinematic breakthrough, and you'll be fine. Aravenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00917932163826067144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-15452593498062275582013-10-06T23:54:57.911-05:002013-10-06T23:54:57.911-05:00I just came from seeing Gravity in IMAX. I'm p...I just came from seeing Gravity in IMAX. I'm pretty sure I can count on two hands the number of times I breathed during those ninety some-odd minutes; for all its flaws, it's a stupendously tense piece of cinema, and I'm overjoyed that it focused on a female character when it could have easily been the George Clooney show. Once I catch my breath I think there's something to be said for this; it's one of the first times, in my memory, that a quasi-realistic astronaut movie has focused so concretely on a female lead. <br /><br />'Gravity' was wonderful in that it made me feel stretched out and drained dry and giddily energized with the magic of what movies can do. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06305249370249058017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-48874098543108242802013-10-06T21:04:27.996-05:002013-10-06T21:04:27.996-05:00@ Fedor,
I came here to post basically the same t...@ Fedor,<br /><br />I came here to post basically the same thing. I feel that Gravity has the best FX I've ever seen but it wasn't quite the quantum leap above everything else that reviewers made it out to be. It wasn't as mind blowing as seeing Avatar in IMAX for the first time.<br /><br />The script could have been much tighter. It was really just this happened and then this happened. (spoilerish) Bullock's character survives through sheer blind luck until the last act when she is finally given some agency. Also, I found the character work trite. However, the visuals are out of this world and every fault the film contains pales in comparison to the thrilling FX onscreen. It really did push the limits and set a new standard for FX; I just don't think its THAT much better than other 3D films out there. <br /><br />Basically, it's a film that will be talked about for awhile and deservedly so; I just wish they'd spent more time on niceties like story and character. However, in the end it's is really minor quibbles next to what Cuaron achieved in terms of sheer cinematic experience. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634087887519608773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-15700425731446798442013-10-06T16:55:48.753-05:002013-10-06T16:55:48.753-05:00Hi Tim,
I didn't like this film as much as yo...Hi Tim,<br /><br />I didn't like this film as much as you did. Here's why:<br /><br />1. The situation is ridiculous. The various spacecraft would all have to be in the same orbit for any of this to be feasible. This analysis suggests that this isn't the case - http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/science/space/an-astronaut-and-a-writer-at-the-movies.html?_r=0 - why would they be if, under such circumstances, a small mistake would result in the catastrophe we saw in the film?<br /><br />2. As you said, the script is weak. The whole 'daughter' story seems like a forced addition to try to make the film more interesting. The acting is good but, even with a great script, you would need tremendous acting for this to really work. I mean, visually, we spend so much time looking at Bullock's face - I personally don't think that she is expressive enough to shoulder such attention, especially in the context of the script as it is. <br /><br />3. The cinematography is a tremendous achievement - it is what makes the film at all interesting to watch. However, that same cinematography is also mostly CGI which I'm no fan off. Today its new and people like it - in a few years, it will look dated. Some people, people like me, will be irritated by it right off the bat.<br /><br />In the end, I'm just not sure why the movie was made... what the point was. There's an interview that suggests that the director was going for some serious existential themes or something like that... if that's what he was going for, he surely should have picked a different story to carry them. As it is, it feels like he went for it because it was so darn challenging and contains some novel images - to me, that's not reason enough to make a movie, especially one took as long to make as gravity.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10261848495968163325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-25944015167053747052013-10-05T07:00:34.485-05:002013-10-05T07:00:34.485-05:00So, Tim, 100M dollar question: Lubezki + Cuarón or...So, Tim, 100M dollar question: Lubezki + Cuarón or Lubezki + Malick?Ajayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02721558439452521638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-21843270215497781272013-10-05T02:58:42.962-05:002013-10-05T02:58:42.962-05:00I won't get to go until saturday night but rig...I won't get to go until saturday night but right now I can't even fathom how amazing these special FX must be to be getting these kinds of reviews. I'm prepared to have my mind thoroughly blown.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634087887519608773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-24573895619654608862013-10-04T22:57:20.189-05:002013-10-04T22:57:20.189-05:00very, very good movie when it decides to shut up f...very, very good movie when it decides to shut up from its chewy dialog, Oscar clip monologues, and obvious symbolism. It connects with you more when it stops trying to connect with you. There's just about no way Lubezki gets denied this time though, right? I mean, my goodness. I agree with you about Bullock, who plays her part very well, but this is clearly the Alfonso Cuaron show and she's along for the ride.<br /><br />And that's what it is, a ride. An absolute thrill ride, the kind of thing lame movie critics say unironically all the time, but here that's totally apt. Everything you see is what you get, some of the most technically accomplished blockbuster filmmaking you'll ever see on the big screen. At times it seems like the most impressive formal experiment ever caught on film then a particularly strong narrative or great screenplay, but I know you're a big formalist Tim, so I knew this would be right up your alley. Myself, I say it's the best blockbuster that wasn't The World's End.Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12219137212221355997noreply@blogger.com