Gravity Review
RYAN: One of the biggest movies of the year is Gravity from now visionary director, Alfonso Cuaron, who is one of my faves since even before directing the third Harry Potter film and what he’s done here is a real masterpiece. Unlike anything you’ve seen before, breathtaking in story and scope – it’s so ambitious, I was awestruck watching this entire movie.
CHUCK: I still don’t feel like I’m breathing. There were so many moments of held breath and not only for what was happening on screen…
RYAN: Like, tense, nervous energy.
CHUCK: Right, but just contemplating how they made it all happen. Yes there’s CGI, but the seamlessness of it, the brilliance in direction.
RYAN: The 3D and effect are so good. You’re kind of snapping back and forth between your involvement in the story and marveling at how amazing he effects are.
CHUCK: This is the kind of movie that 3D was invented for. But it also has to do with the direction and his brilliance. It’s like watching Life of Pi last year from Ang Lee, just the same level of “Holy cow, I can’t believe it!” You couldn’t tell it wasn’t real.
RYAN: It’s produced by David Heyman who did all eight Harry Potter films.
CHUCK: That makes sense.
RYAN: They obviously have a good working relationship. But, man! The power for CGI and computers today. It’s unbelievable. I can’t imagine if you were to compare on paper what this movie looked like as a script to what it is on screen, I would give the screenplay the Oscar just for that alone.
CHUCK: It was written by the director and his son and I bet even they couldn’t have contemplated how beautiful it would look. Maybe they hoped for it.
RYAN: So many aspects had to seem cost-prohibitive on the page but they just went for it. And Sandra Bullock! When she won best actress for The Blind Side, please. She’s so much stronger in this performance already. Who knows who else will be in her category but in this movie she is stellar.
CHUCK: She has to already be a huge frontrunner for best actress even just for what she had to do physically for this role.
RYAN: Her body is amazing. She had to practically hyperventilate in every scene. Her erratic breath patterns were out of control.
CHUCK: It never ended. And the sense of claustrophobia she conveys is amazing.
RYAN: On the other hand, George Clooney was fine but he was just playing himself – fun, charming, affable. It was not a stretch for him.
CHUCK: He was playing a hot shot astronaut.
RYAN: But it served the story and he was well cast.
CHUCK: Perfectly and their chemistry was fantastic. Even if you think you know what to expect in the movie, you don’t. It’s not all you think it will be from the trailer. He’s a director that relies on the subliminal and subtleties. There’s a real theme of rebirth and in utero.
RYAN: Completely. I think that is the overall message.
CHUCK: And it’s going to go over the heads of some people. It’s not a big action movie. It’s somewhat quiet.
RYAN: Right. It’s a deliberate, character study of human nature and the will to survive. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite films, Contact, not only because of outer space, but even the first shot and it’s stillness in space.
CHUCK: I didn’t think of that but you’re so right. It has a similar sense of rediscovery.
RYAN: The star of this film is the director. It’s his story, his vision, the performances are almost secondary to the overall piece. He has you in the palm of his hand.
CHUCK: He really does. It’s an incredible accomplishment.
RYAN: Some things are implausible, but as with all good movies, you suspend disbelief and go along for the ride. You need it in horror, in romantic comedy, everything.
CHUCK: You need it even in movies based on true stories to believe that the reenactments are good.
RYAN: And how ever they accomplished the zero gravity look in this film is incredible. It’s never looked better in film.
CHUCK: Apollo 13 is the best predecessor and this just blows it out of the water. This just makes Cuaron such a cool director.
RYAN: He could win best director, considering last year Ang Lee won for Life of Pi.
CHUCK: He totally could. There is just so much artistry packed into this movie and it was all done on a computer. Mind blowing.
RYAN: Like Avatar, this movie is a game-changer; not only for the technology and vision involved but for the story and sheer ambition by the director. It’s a masterpiece. People sometimes complain about the overuse of green screen and CGI but this is a movie where it can’t have been accomplished any other means. And it succeeds on every level.
