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GRAVITY |OT| - From Director Alfonso Cuarón

tino

Banned
Gotta chime in here and say that i enjoyed it, and that especially the scenes with the debris approaching were absolutely great! A lot of tension and and uneasiness right there!

However: I really AM disappointed by the director insisting on
the theme of rebirth/evolution as it really felt extremely unnecessary to me and i can't even pinpoint why! Maybe that is the problem, the movie failed to convey to me WHY i should care about this supposed "rebirth" at all? And then the shots of her cuddling up in fetal position took forever! I mean after a quick glimpse i already got what he was trying to show us but it's like he REALLY had to keep the camera there to make every last person understand and it was unnecessarily long and annoying that way! As far as i am concerned the movie would have been better as a pure Sci-Fi/visual movie without these sometimes downright pretentious and forced feeling suggestive elements. Maybe some people got more out of this than i did, but for me it didn't do anything.

In the end, i take what we got though and it was worth it for the visuals alone!


Yes, that fetal position scene. That's the director hitting his own upper ceiling to me. Great directors would choose to let the story tell itself and he had to come out and gave me a message. I mean what the fuck
Clooney wasn't even dead at the time.
Did he even pretend to care about the technical side of the story?
(Obviously not, since it turned out any illiterate can drive a non English escape pod)
 

jtb

Banned
when people go to the movies, they want a story. you want a reason why Cuaron wrote this as a "story" with obvious story-like constructions? well, so far there are 123 million (and counting) reasons, and that's just the US alone. there is no way this movie would have been made without that, there's no way this movie would be profitable without that, and I'd venture to say there's no way Cuaron would be interested in making this movie without a simple arc to ground it.

I think to criticize this movie for telling a story... that's a bit ridiculous. pretentious? the movie was the complete opposite of pretentious. it was about as simple as you could get, to the point of deliberately stripping a lot of the technical jargon—and I think that was a good decision. it didn't tell the story you wanted it to; okay, but that doesn't take away from the one Cuaron did tell. not to mention, it's not like the story had a "message" so I don't understand those complaints at all.

every other movie in Cuaron's filmography has a very strong emotional core, I wasn't surprised that this one did too. this movie is hardly perfect and there are points in this movie where it could use a bit lighter of a touch. but I don't agree that criticizing it for telling a simple arc is a negative; I think it was elegant and, for the most part, well done.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Honestly, I think people just want to be able to unconditionally love the film. For me, I love the film to watch it multiple times in a theater, which is something I haven't done in over 10 years, but even so, at best I would call the story "functional".
 

UberTag

Member
Caught Gravity for the 4th time tonight.
For those of you who have a D-BOX equipped theater within driving distance, I highly encourage you to take it for a test drive.
They calibrated the film against the movements of the chair expertly.
Was especially effective during Ryan's re-entry sequence at the end. You felt as if you were right there with her.
 
Gravity will not come out in IMAX in France

iW81iuSDXS0oW.gif


I'll keep my money then.
 

If it's any consolation, it wasn't shot in IMAX, so you're not really missing out on anything. Just find a good theatre with a big screen and you'll be seeing it how it was meant to be seen. Yes, it's best seen on the biggest screen possible, but it only takes up 2/3rds of the screen at IMAX, so all these people paying $30 a ticket are just getting hosed.
 

3N16MA

Banned
Watched this last week but never got around to posting my thoughts.

Brilliant is the first word that comes to mind. Not only was this one of those films that was a great theater experience (Avatar) but it also was a film that was stunningly beautiful and captivating.

Watch it on the biggest screen possible even if it was not shot in IMAX.
 
The first thirty minutes of the film scared me far more than any horror film. It was absolutely amazing, in my opinion. I cannot wait until I can see that movie again. Whatever it lacked in technical realism, it made up for in it's detail and suspense. After digesting that movie for a day, I want to put it with 2001 as one of my favorite space films.
 

PantherLotus

Professional Schmuck
I swear I searched for this thread but couldn't find it. Anyway, this is one of the few films -- ever -- to live up to the billing. HOLY SHIT. Her non-floaty hair didn't even bother me!
 

TylerD

Member
I'm going to see it again tomorrow night. It has been a week and a half so I'm hoping to get the same feeling of awe as the first viewing.
 
I just saw it for the first time today. Holy fuck was it amazing. One of the few films where I thought the 3D actually helped the viewing experience. It's probably my favorite movie of the year so far.
 

shira

Member
Highly super skeptical, saw it, loved it. Great movie.

If it's any consolation, it wasn't shot in IMAX, so you're not really missing out on anything. Just find a good theatre with a big screen and you'll be seeing it how it was meant to be seen. Yes, it's best seen on the biggest screen possible, but it only takes up 2/3rds of the screen at IMAX, so all these people paying $30 a ticket are just getting hosed.

IMAX speakers son. Always worth it.
 

zruben

Banned
well, not sure if it's thread worthy, so I'll post it here, a mexican reporter asked Alfonso Cuarón if it was difficult to film in space:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7PlhFz7GkeE
(obviously in spanish)

this is a basic summary:
-Reporter: (presents himself) in the name of everyone who loves cinema, the cinema professionals, the people who love to make movies, we all have the same question... what were the main techicnal and human difficulties of filming in space?
-Cuarón: (blinks)
-Reporter: That is my main question, was it difficult? (I don't understand the rest)
-Cuarón: (laughs, scratches head), Yes, yes, we took the cameras out there. We were three and a half months, right?, in space training... it was very cool, the training. (.....) out there, not so much (....)

(I can't hear clearly some of the things he says)

The reporter was from TV Azteca, one of the two main television networks in Mexico.
 
this movie's phenomenal visually and surprisingly well-paced on one hand.

on the other... way too much dialogue, sandra bullock needs to stfu and alfonso/jonas need to spend more time hanging out with american people because everybody's lines were trite as hell. nearly every performance was bad.

moviemaking rule: make sure your characters tell me exactly how you feel or exactly what you're doing every 5 seconds!
 

zma1013

Member
Going to see Gravity this weekend and there are 2 different 3D tickets to choose from on the website within the same theater. (I blindly scrolled down to avoid spoilers)

Gravity: An IMAX 3D Experience - (with the logo IMAX next to it)

Gravity 3D - (with the logo REAL 3D next to it)

Which one is better? I believe this theater is a REAL full IMAX theater but I'm confused as to why there are 2 3D options.

http://www.fandango.com/cinemarkgal...id=11533_IMAX(linksfromwww.imax.com)&wssac=63
 
You're not that shocked are you? The movie had way too much garbage dialog. Dog barking included.

WHA-oh someone beat me to it n/m :p

Going to see Gravity this weekend and there are 2 different 3D tickets to choose from on the website within the same theater. (I blindly scrolled down to avoid spoilers)

Gravity: An IMAX 3D Experience - (with the logo IMAX next to it)

Gravity 3D - (with the logo REAL 3D next to it)

Which one is better? I believe this theater is a REAL full IMAX theater but I'm confused as to why there are 2 3D options.

http://www.fandango.com/cinemarkgal...id=11533_IMAX(linksfromwww.imax.com)&wssac=63

One is 3D on a normal digital screen, the other is in IMAX, which you know the format.

Like Sculli says, it wasn't shot in IMAX and doesn't fill the screen, but I'm still of the opinion it should be seen in it due to the benefits it provides.
 

Camp Lo

Banned
Going to see Gravity this weekend and there are 2 different 3D tickets to choose from on the website within the same theater. (I blindly scrolled down to avoid spoilers)

Gravity: An IMAX 3D Experience - (with the logo IMAX next to it)

Gravity 3D - (with the logo REAL 3D next to it)

Which one is better? I believe this theater is a REAL full IMAX theater but I'm confused as to why there are 2 3D options.

http://www.fandango.com/cinemarkgal...id=11533_IMAX(linksfromwww.imax.com)&wssac=63

I'd do IMAX for the sound alone.

And don't drink any coffee or other stimulants beforehand. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack at the end.
 

Redhood

Member
So I watched it last weekend in 3d. CG, Soundtrack were top notch. SB was amazing as always. My only gripe was that the movie was trying to become something more meaningful with the whole
dead daughter angle
and movie tried hard at it but in the end it was just not working. But amazing acting by SB and GC. Definitely a 3D and Big screen experience. For first 20-30 minutes I was on the edge of my seat.

Fun Fact:
When she was trying to put out the fire and bumps her head I said "Hasn't she seen Wall-E?" and then when she actually uses it to boost in space "Oh she has seen Wall-E!"
 

Grisby

Member
Haven't really made any comments in the thread but I have since it twice since opening day. Damn good film and I was sweating at some points due to my slight fear of space (it's so vast). Thought everyone did a good job and I even managed to root for Ryan despite the story being weak. It is a thriller after all though.

Some of the CG with the bodies looked a little weird at points (fingers moving,etc) but some of those station scenes were incredible.

Overall, I think I enjoyed Children of Men more as it was a complete package but Gravity was definitely a film worth watching. It was like Cuaron was saying, "Grisby, this is why you go to the movies."
 

Palmer_v1

Member
this movie's phenomenal visually and surprisingly well-paced on one hand.

on the other... way too much dialogue, sandra bullock needs to stfu and alfonso/jonas need to spend more time hanging out with american people because everybody's lines were trite as hell. nearly every performance was bad.

moviemaking rule: make sure your characters tell me exactly how you feel or exactly what you're doing every 5 seconds!

I've seen similar complaints a few times. FWIW, I'm pretty sure astronauts in that kind of situation are supposed to keep describing events, etc., since there's a chance someone may be listening, even if they can't communicate back, i.e. Houston in the blind.

Clooney's character, for example, may still die, but he could also provide invaluable information on how to improve the jetpack for future users in the meantime.
 
Honestly, I think people just want to be able to unconditionally love the film. For me, I love the film to watch it multiple times in a theater, which is something I haven't done in over 10 years, but even so, at best I would call the story "functional".

Yes. This is exactly what i was trying to convey!

I really really enjoyed the parts where they didn't talk or reflect about death, and just feel that the rest somehow "bothered" me to the point i cannot legitimately say outright that this was one of the best movies i have ever watched because it had the potential to be, but fell just short because the message (and yes there IS a message in there) that is repeatedly being drilled into my head is distracting me from the experience.

It just didn't...resonate with me emotionally, if it did with others though, then more power to them and this movie would probably be almost perfect to them in that case!
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Yes. This is exactly what i was trying to convey!

I really really enjoyed the parts where they didn't talk or reflect about death, and just feel that the rest somehow "bothered" me to the point i cannot legitimately say outright that this was one of the best movies i have ever watched because it had the potential to be, but fell just short because the message (and yes there IS a message in there) that is repeatedly being drilled into my head is distracting me from the experience.

It just didn't...resonate with me emotionally, if it did with others though, then more power to them and this movie would probably be almost perfect to them in that case!
That's the thing, Ryan's back story was just something that existed because apparently everything needs a story. But it just felt perfunctory for me, like something slapped on because they didn't trust the quiet moments to be able to sell themselves without Bullock talking during them.
It's why I would like to see a "silent film" cut of the movie, just to see if it'd work with just music.

So is the d-box worth it for this movie?
I missed it in my subsequent viewings after my D-Box viewing... but it's also pretty much a gimmick. It's probably as close to a Gravity 3d simulator ride as you're ever going to get though. lol

Atmos > IMAX for sound though.
But giant Sandra Bullock!
 

sans_pants

avec_pénis
Sure its a gimmick but if it adds to the movie I'd like to try it out. Already seen it in imax 3d and want to see it one more time before its out of theaters
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Sure its a gimmick but if it adds to the movie I'd like to try it out. Already seen it in imax 3d and want to see it one more time before its out of theaters
I watched it 5 times... all I'm missing is an Atmos viewing. :(

OK a theater near me has both. Should I see it in d-box or atmos?
Do you value 180 speaker surround sound or the fact that your seat will rumble and move with the action on the screen? lol

I still don't know why there isn't an IMAX D-Box Atmos theater... or if there is one, there should be more around the world. Charge 30-40 dollars per ticket... I don't care, because as Gravity as proven to me, if the film experience is unique and not reproducible at home, I'll drag my fat ass to the theater.
 
I've seen similar complaints a few times. FWIW, I'm pretty sure astronauts in that kind of situation are supposed to keep describing events, etc., since there's a chance someone may be listening, even if they can't communicate back, i.e. Houston in the blind.

Clooney's character, for example, may still die, but he could also provide invaluable information on how to improve the jetpack for future users in the meantime.

for sure, i wasn't really talking about those moments. but before the accident and after
kowalski dies
there's just too much bullshit coming out of characters' mouths. the problem is that it's not interesting, well-written, or adequately performed bullshit.

sandra bullock talks to herself incessantly, not because that's "who she is" or because it gives her a chance to contact Houston, but because the screenwriters didn't believe the audience would know what is going on without that quirk. most of the dialogue is far, far too expository in a very cliche manner (ie: kowalski's cringeworthy stories)
 

Scrooged

Totally wronger about Nintendo's business decisions.
All that 'bullshit' is called building character. I don't think the movie would be good at all if all they did was talk technical stuff.
 

Ambient80

Member
The first thirty minutes of the film scared me far more than any horror film. It was absolutely amazing, in my opinion. I cannot wait until I can see that movie again. Whatever it lacked in technical realism, it made up for in it's detail and suspense. After digesting that movie for a day, I want to put it with 2001 as one of my favorite space films.

Seriously, I felt like I was holding my breath half of the movie. So intense! One of my favorite movies now.
 
All that 'bullshit' is called building character. I don't think the movie would be good at all if all they did was talk technical stuff.

the point is that it's poor character building because the dialogue isn't good and the performances made it worse. i'm not saying they have to talk about technical stuff the whole way through. i'm saying the "character building" is too on-the-nose and the characters themselves are riddled with cliches. the film leaves almost nothing to the viewer's interpretation. there's so little ambiguity and nuance in the character interactions that it diminished the immersion factor for me.

there are better and more interesting ways of using dialogue to build character. it starts with more realistic scripting. kowalski's and stone's stories aren't any better than stone narrating every little action she takes or concern she has in the latter half of the film because they're simplistic information dumps.
 

foxtrot3d

Banned
You're not that shocked are you? The movie had way too much garbage dialog. Dog barking included.

I agree. Just saw the film, I enjoyed it didn't think it was AMAZING but pretty good. However, I did think there was too much dialogue, it really distracted me at certain points. She's alone, in space, she shouldn't be talking to herself she would be thinking to herself.

Other than that I
thought Clooney's character could have used a little bit more screen time
and the whole rebirth angle just seem a bit weird considering we know very little about the character
besides the whole daughter thing
. Hence why making the movie longer and having Clooney's character stick around more to flesh that out would have helped.
 

diunxx

Member
I agree. Just saw the film, I enjoyed it didn't think it was AMAZING but pretty good. However, I did think there was too much dialogue, it really distracted me at certain points. She's alone, in space, she shouldn't be talking to herself she would be thinking to herself.


Ehhh most people talk to themselves when they are in isolated situations.
 

foxtrot3d

Banned
I was thinking the same thing. Many people talk out loud when trying to walk themselves through something. They also do it when nervous or scared.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there, while I'm sure we all talk to ourselves a bit when we are frustrated like that but never to that extent. She literally talks about everything she sees or is doing.
 

Tangsta

Banned
I know this movie has flaws, but I couldn't care less when the special effects had me so immersed I almost shat myself during
the first debris collision
. People need to see this movie, and in 3D no less, just to see how far CGI in movies have come. Amazing stuff!

I live in Australia and we have pretty much the large cinema screen in the world (IMAX, Sydney) and I'm really disappointed I couldn't afford to see this movie at the venue (I live in Melbourne and the cost to get to Sydney just to see a movie is a bit nonsensical).
 

bud

Member
i really don't think it's necessary to use spoiler tags in an official thread after the film has come out.

it doesn't happen in series threads either.
 

Dany

Banned
i really don't think it's necessary to use spoiler tags in an official thread after the film has come out.

it doesn't happen in series threads either.


I disagree. Because not everyone sees it at the same time. Having this thread be untagged midnight of the 4th would be cruel because I wanted to discuss this film and hear impressions without going into specific details. Though it is far out enough from the release date now so most people are generally playing fast and loose with their tags.
 

livestOne

Member
I got bamboozled. The way everyone was talking I was expecting a Gattaca level sci-fi movie, but I got Prometheus, overall eye candy but other than that... Sandra bullock I don't know, her acting is annoying, I felt nothing from watching her, most of the emotion and tension came from what was happening in the general the scene or the music being played. Clooney's character didn't seem like a real person he felt like the comic relief character in a movie, even in his heart felt last
suicidal
moments he's cracking jokes till the radio cuts off, kinda killed the mood.
sound familiar? Hands Up!
. The dialogue in this movie in general is just corny and badly written.

5/10
 
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