Gravity

[Evil Twin]

I wouldn't say I'm a visual guy, as much as I'm someone who takes a movie on the terms it attempts. A movie isn't bad because it has a stripped down plot if the plot isn't the point. It doesn't mean it's good either, but we should accept that there are masterpieces of all stripes and failed films of all stripes. 2001 doesn't have a complicated plot. The General is, mostly, a series of chases. Battleship Potemkin is more about a movement than about characters.

Sure, Indiana Jones might have a better plot than Gravity, which seems to have a fairly straightforward premise, but I'd also suggest that a lot of what we think of Indiana Jones' character isn't on the paper but in Harrison Ford's performance. The smile on his face when he accomplishes something he didn't think he'd really pull off, for instance. I think we should certainly wait to see what's in the direction and performances before we declare that the film isn't about character. Character is sometimes action, after all, and between the lines of dialogue.

 

[Ultimatehero]

I'd say 2001 has a complicated plot in that it is a very very surreal plot that I still don't 100% understand from beginning to end or what the ending means.

Indiana Jones would be the case of a marriage between the two, but the actor must always have something on the page. There were elements that Harrison Ford then took and ran with. That's the beauty of great writing - it should really come off as invisible as possible so you would think it's 100% the actor and 0% the script. Or at least that's how I approach it. The less people think about the writing and think it's just happening and that it's all spontaneous the better.

2001 had characters and action, but mostly visual poetry as you call it. I like horror survival films and this one just didn't jump out at all to me and sounds rather like all the rest of them just with a threat that comes off as being more in concept than anything else. It's clear they were trying to be thrilling in the trailers and they just don't thrill or chill or scare me. I also wish they were more original because it is a very overly done story minus the different setting.

Spoiler

Two people are trapped. They try to get out of the trap with increasing difficulties. One of them sacrifices their life so the other one can get to safety and SHE usually lives - thus 'the final girl.'

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Finally watched the latest clip. I don't really understand why people are thrilled about this film thus far. Maybe it's the space/dinosaur effect.

"Wow! Space! This is awesome!"

Jesus ****ing Christ. Why is it that everyone who doesn't like this feels the need to act as condescending as possible?

 

[Octoberist]

That's the Guard for you. Though I like him in small doses.

 

[Evil Twin]

I'd say 2001 has a complicated plot in that it is a very very surreal plot that I still don't 100% understand from beginning to end or what the ending means.

Indiana Jones would be the case of a marriage between the two, but the actor must always have something on the page. There were elements that Harrison Ford then took and ran with. That's the beauty of great writing - it should really come off as invisible as possible so you would think it's 100% the actor and 0% the script. Or at least that's how I approach it. The less people think about the writing and think it's just happening and that it's all spontaneous the better.

Yeah, the end of 2001 gets surreal, but other than Kubrick forcing you to make some leaps, I'd say that the Dawn of Man, Earth to the Moon, and Discovery sequences are pretty straightforward. It has big ideas and some nice little touches, there are birthdays as asides in the film, so that when we get to the Birth of Man's Next Evolutionary Step, it's what the film has been pretty consistently building up to without much digression.

I'd say the presence of Clooney as a part of the cast sells the idea that there's perhaps more to the characters than is being credited. He has good taste in scripts and certainly didn't need to do the film if he didn't believe in it. Perhaps he was cast precisely because of what he could bring that may not be apparent on the page.

 

[Ultimatehero]

Those sequences are straight-forward, but as a whole it's not straight-forward or at least not to me.

There are a number of reasons why the actors would sign on. I'd say here from reading the synopsis it might have more to do with the director, the way they'd have to shoot it, or the potential it has visually. It could also have to do with them personally liking the script. Some people like things, other people don't as well - this goes for everything. Script-wise basic though, it is very straight forward and typical of the genre.

 

[green]

Personally Ive found the clips thrilling and wrought with tension. Cuaron is a master film making, plan and simple. I find the premise rather compelling and that awe of the backdrop of Earth while this horrible accident is occurring gives me goosebumps every time. Guess Im not just so jaded as to be incapable of waiting until a film is released to actually write it off as drivel. But then film is art and all art is subjective.

 

[The Guard]

Jesus ****ing Christ. Why is it that everyone who doesn't like this feels the need to act as condescending as possible?

Uh...

How is that condescending, let alone as condescending as possible? I made a joke about the space/dinosaur effect.

I don't dislike this. It looks interesting. I don't think it's quite as amazing as people have been reacting to it.

But that's The Hype for you. Hype-rbolic. Everything is either brilliant or crap these days.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Uh...

How is that condescending, let alone as condescending as possible? I made a joke about the space/dinosaur effect.

Please, you may as well have claimed that anyone who liked this is fascinated by shiny objects. You aren't fooling anyone.

 

[Tequilla]

Cinema is a visual medium. That's why Gravity looks an exciting project.

 

[Kansiov]

It sure looks interesting, but unless there is a much broader narrative, I'm not sure if I can stomach 2 hours of watching two individuals constantly moaning and screaming as they are hurled in open space.

 

[nite-owl]

Well you're in luck the movies only on for 88 minutes.

 

[redhawk23]

A bunch of new banners and posters.

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3...posters-and-trailers-for-ultra-hyped-gravity/

 

[TheIrishAvenger]

Is this movie really going to be 2 hours long? It seems like something that would 90 minutes long instead.

 

[redhawk23]

88 minutes if posters on this page are to be believed.

 

[Vid Electricz]

It sure looks interesting, but unless there is a much broader narrative, I'm not sure if I can stomach 2 hours of watching two individuals constantly moaning and screaming as they are hurled in open space.

This is exactly why it looks uninteresting to me.

 

[Figs]

It sure looks interesting, but unless there is a much broader narrative, I'm not sure if I can stomach 2 hours of watching two individuals constantly moaning and screaming as they are hurled in open space.

Same here. It's one of the reasons I never watched Open Water. I don't care to sit there and watch two people floating in the ocean for over an hour.

 

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=107193

 

[Octoberist]

It's beautiful.

 

[georgec]

Yea I really like that.

 

[The Guard]

So...I read the script. This should probably be called DEBRIS instead of GRAVITY.

Hopefully the script got a serious polish/overhaul at some point, because it's not that well written. They've done their research in terms of the space elements they're dealing with, but the actual writing work is pretty generic. The dialogue is incredibly mediocre, almost an afterthought, and the attempts at humor...we'll see how well that works, I guess. It's a bit heavy handed. I can see why they cast Sandra Bullock now, though.

I dunno, I get what it's going for conceptually, I just don't think it's got the weight inherent in the concept to really pull it off, and it doesn't look like Cuaron has shot this with the restraint or even the focus that the script seems to have intended this concept receive.

This is essentially a disaster story mixed with a survival story, but the disaster and survival elements are so broadly drawn that it feels like a series of major conveniences/contrivances. And the whole time I kept thinking "There's a much, much more interesting story to be told here than following these characters". I think it's going to be an okay movie because of strong visuals in key moments. Here's hoping Cuaron has something surprising up his sleeve.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Same here. It's one of the reasons I never watched Open Water. I don't care to sit there and watch two people floating in the ocean for over an hour.

I wish I hadn't watched Open Water, it was lousy.

As for Gravity, I'm eh on it. It looks alright I guess but I haven't seen anything that makes me excited.

 

[kvz5]

From the EW Fall Movie Preview issue:

 

[Eggyman]

During the trailers for Elysium last night, the director of this comes on and welcomes us to watch a sneak peak special...then the screen goes black and Elysium comes on.

 

[redhawk23]

....Weird.