Wednesday, October 2, 2013

10 Thoughts on Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity

Caught Alfonso Cuaron's GRAVITY last night and all I can say is "floored"! I was floored by the script, the visuals and the spellbinding power that Cuaron used in crafting this space-age story of survival, life and death. Here's a rundown of 10 thoughts about the film which comes out Oct. 3 from Warner Bros. Pictures.



1. The film is as close as we can get to actually be in space. The first thirty minutes of the film was a major doozy. It not only introduces us to the cast but in a way shows us that we are small specks in the universe.

2. Sandra Bullock's performance here rocks. I was turned off by her role in "The Heat" (although there were great reviews for that film) but seeing her as Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity brought her back to "Academy Award Winner" status in my book. Bullock goes from sardonic to frantic to dejected and finally to a fighter. All that in a well written movie.


3. Sandra Bullock looks hot by the way. 




4. George Clooney's role is a surprisingly good one. Clooney plays Matt Kowalski, the mission leader in this disastrous mission ins the cold vacuum of space. He's also playing the role of the exposition tool, a means for the audience to get to know more about Bullock's Stone. 

5. Gravity is a story about life. It begs us to answer the question of whether or not we are willing to just lay down and die when facing a bigger problem or do we fight. It's a basic question that's been tackled on so many different levels. Gravity just upped the ante by putting the scenario in space.



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6. It's not science fiction but rather science fact. People who have seen the trailer for Gravity thinks that this is going to be one of those big sci-fi epics. Yes, it's grand and big but there are no laser guns or aliens. Just an astronaut with a huge chip on her shoulders thrust into a very dangerous and shitty situation. More fun for moviegoers. Gravity is also a good way to introduce kids to life in space and how it can be very terrible to stay up there for months.

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7. The symbolism is just rich here in this film. I'm not sure if Cuaron made sure that viewers would get some of the stuff that he placed but it's really there. Just train your eyes to keep out for those "small things" and subtle imagery. One of the very best subtleties at the top of my head was that part where Bullock enters the Russian space station and just sucks in as much oxygen as possible while taking off her space suit slowly. The chapter/ act ends with her just lying there in zero-g in a fetal position with cords all around her. It's that part of the movie where you go "wow" to everything presented on that big-ass silverscreen.

8. Plot twist. Leave it to Cuaron and the rest of the team to escalate things quickly and make a good surprising "plot twist". Plus that ending is very uplifting.

9. Again, Gravity ain't exactly original. We've seen this story from stuff like "2001: A Space Odyssey" to "Castaway". That being said, have a source of inspiration didn't act like a crutch for the film. In fact, I feel that these "predecessors" has given a lot of good things for the film. Just don't call this a "space age version of Castaway" because that is not entirely true.

10. This is one of the top-notch films that came out this year and I'm happy I got the chance to see this. The film warrants a second and a third viewing (again all in IMAX) and you'll see how well crafted and brilliant this film is.

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Special thanks to the good folks at Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines.

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GRAVITY OPENS OCT. 3.

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