Gravity

My View:  Gravity (2013)  PG-13   A medical engineer, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), and a veteran astronaut, Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), are on a space mission. During a spacewalk, satellite debris crashes into the Space Shuttle and sends Dr. Stone adrift into space with limited oxygen.  This is one of the most spectacular looking films I have ever seen, and it is worth every penny to see it in IMAX 3-D.  This is one of those films where you want to see a full length feature on how they made it.  The action sequences in Space are incredible, scary and beautiful, all at the same time.  Clooney is perfect as veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, a man who enjoys what he does and lets everyone know it.  When things go wrong, Kowalski is the man you want, and he always has a plan and the nerves of steel to carry it out, which is fortunate since Bullock’s character, Dr. Stone is a space rookie who, when things start to go wrong, panics.  Bullock has to show a wide range of emotions in the film, and she is up to the task, making us like a character who, at the start of the film, is closed off and reserved.  I credit director/co writer Alfonso Cuaron, for making a film that must have seemed impossible to make but develops into an astonishing movie-going experience. My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Gravity Website

Indiefest:  Parkland (2013)  PG-13   The movie recreates the day of and days that followed John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. The story is told from the perspective of the men and women who witnessed the shooting and tried to save the President’s life.  I liked this film because, instead of going into the conspiracy angle as so many films about the JFK assassination do, this film lets us see the shooting through the eyes of the people who had to deal with the aftermath on that fateful day in Dallas.  This is a large ensemble cast, and there really isn't a weak-point in the group, though several actors stand out with their performances.  Paul Giamatti plays Abraham Zapruder, the man who would shoot the most famous home movie in the history of film.  Giamatti is stunning as the likable Zapruder, who seems to a good man at heart.  The film’s most moving image is Zapruder's expression while he films the tragedy, as we don’t see the actual shooting, but we see the horror and sorrow in Giamatti’s eyes.  I also liked Marcia Gay Harden, who plays the head nurse in the emergency room where the injured President is taken.  Harden's character shows part equal compassion and guts as she takes charge of a situation where everyone is in shock or panicking.  This is an interesting film that I think history buffs will enjoy.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Parkland Website

Indiefest: The Patience Stone (2013)  R  While war and strife wage around her, a wife (Golshifteh Farahani) faithfully sits watch over her husband (Hamid Djavadan) who is in a vegetative state after he was shot. As she sits at his bedside, the wife begins to tell her husband all the things that she has remained silent about during their ten years of marriage.  Farahani is the reason to watch this film in a tour de force performance.  She is in almost every frame of this film and exhibits touching, heartfelt emotion, and at times, heartbreaking soliloquies where she tells her comatose husband her deepest, darkest secrets.  It’s a fascinating film that shows how hard war is on the civilians, especially on the women as they try to keep their families together under extreme circumstances.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Patience Stone Website

Forgotten Film:  Lone Star  (1996)  R  Sherriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) is a local Texas lawman who gets called in when human bones are found out in the desert.  Deeds begins investigating the murder, which occured over forty years ago and he gets deeper and deeper into an investigation that has many mysteries, some involving his father, the former sheriff (Mathew McConaughey).  This is a dark murder mystery directed by John Sayles, a mystery that delves into not just a murder, but a number of interwoven relationships, all of which are very messy and dangerous.  My Rating:  Full Price  Lone Star Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  This Is The End  (2013)  R I loved this raunchy comedy about a bunch of actors hanging out at James Franco’s house when the end of the world starts happening.  The film is filled with cameos, some of which were really surprising, and is loads of fun.  But, be warned.  This film is full of strong language and scenes that really push the edge of good taste.  My Rating:  Full Price  This is the End Website  

 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Gravity:  Movement coach

 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)   PG-13 The continuing saga of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mallark (Josh Hutcherson) after winning the 74^th Hunger Games starts a rebellion in the Districts.  I thought the first Hunger Games was brilliant, and Lawrence was the perfect Katniss.  I am excited to see if Writers, Directors, Production Crew and Cast can keep up the quality of the story-line and acting.   The Hunger Games: Caching Fire Website

Until Next Time!