Gravity

Once again, we are behind in our movie viewing. 50% for the year. However,  more than 75% of the year is gone.

Last night, we saw Gravity.

Touted as a great movie - maybe it is, perhaps not, - but it's very good,

It's rare there is a movie that has two, and only two, characters. Almost unheard of - and even one of them is not all that present.

Simple in some ways, complicated in others.  And silence.

In space, no one can hear you scream - not that there was much screaming. But with little or no way to communicate, there is an underlying tone of solitude, reflection and survival.

When you look at it that regard, it isn't anything you haven't seen before, but director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) makes it look like you haven't - though some of the movie feels very Kubrick from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Gravity is both reflective and adventure-based, but as 710 pointed out, while there was obviously CGI stuff, it's not the unrealistic over-the-top stuff that a Thor type movie would put out.  Sure, there is dramatic stuff, but based in reality.   Sure you have to suspend your disbelief to a degree - and you know how difficult that is for me.

Granted, during the movie, I kept wanting to say about Sandra Bullock's character, "man, she cannot catch a break!".   Gob, from Arrested Development, would be heard saying, "C'mon!"

That said, Bullock did a good job when she wasn't out in the depths of space. Two scenes in particular showed her range of talent. I hear the buzz on Oscar nomination, and I'd assume she would get one, but I'm not sure it's that good.  ...but you know my thoughts on that - they pass 'em out like candy to many undeserving folks.  But overall, the dialogue is fair.

While I won't give spoilers - you have two possible outcomes, one the audience wants to happen and one that is more realistic even for some of the non-realism. I'm happy to share my thoughts on the ending off-line - but I wouldn't have been shocked by either finale.

I had a not quite silent groan in the flick:  while aboard a space station from China, you see a ping pong paddle floating in zero gravity, you know, because everyone in that country loves their table tennis - especially in space!

I'm sure I'm not smart enough to tie in a shot of Bullock floating in a capsule, in almost a fetal position with part of her tether still near her, looking very much like a child in the womb. I would guess some smarter movie reviewer will say something about rebirth - and it's possible if that were shown later in the movie, but............what the fuck do I know?

The movies is relatively short - maybe 90 minutes (all the previews were bad except for maybe the Hobbit II). We viewed it in IMAX 3-D. This is my second movies in IMAX (not on a true IMAX screen).  While Cuarón did a great job with the 3-D, the IMAX is really not worth the extra money.

Not important to some, but the score is good and the sound was really good - but maybe that was because we were in the 5th row in a jam-packed theater.

I'm glad we went.  It was on our short list, so it works for us.

I love at the end of the movie, there was a disclaimer that the events were fictitious and any resemblance to real life or characters are coincidental.   Nooooooooooo!!!!!

Of course the big problem was my candy selection:  I opted not for my usual Milk Duds and went for some Nestle Crunch bites.  BLECH.  They seriously took on the taste of the cardboard box of which they resided.  Not that it stopped me from eating the entire thing, but I was not happy about it.

2013 Movie Count / Goal:   6 of 12. 

Song by:  Alison Krauss + Union Station