Gravity* (2013)

It takes a lot for me to see a film in 3D. To date, this is only the second film I have watched in the 3D format. For most films, 3D is little more than a gimmick and does nothing to enhance the story being told. As with Avatar, this film was made specifically with a 3D presentation in mind. Few films truly merit 3D presentation but Gravity is certainly one of them. I think the film could be just as powerful in 2D but seeing it in 3D provided an even more immersive experience.

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a biomedical engineer on a space shuttle mission to make upgrades to some of the Hubble Space Telescope’s delicate instruments. During her spacewalk, a debris field caused by an exploded satellite overtakes Stone, her crew, and their shuttle. Stranded in orbit, Stone and Lt. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) form a desperate plan to survive.

Some people complain about a lack of plot and I can see why they might think so but I think this may be because they do not share my understanding of what constitutes plot and story. As a story, Gravity is a powerhouse sequence of events. Precious little time is spent on wind-up. In your typical disaster blockbuster, probably a good thirty minutes would be spent introducing us to the characters. Here, we get maybe five minutes before things go haywire. Only after the spectacular opening sequence do we get to know the two surviving characters. Even then, we only learn about the shell-shocked Ryan because Kowalski knows he needs to distract her from the high probability that they are going to die.

But these forced conversations open us up to Ryan’s emotional journey, which I consider the film’s plot. She goes from being terrified and helpless, to mustering the courage to fight for her life, to finding the will to live. She clings to some things as she lets go of others. As in real life, people tend to find out who they are and what they’re made of during times of hardship. In 91 minutes, we witness one woman’s gut-wrenching transformation amidst the most extreme conditions. We get to know Ryan Stone at her worst and at her best and it is so, so powerful to experience.

Sandra Bullock carries this film on her shoulders and makes it look effortless. In reality, she was rigged to a wire harness in a box covered with LED lights. While you might think this film was shot in space or like on a parabolic flight like in Apollo 13, Bullock actually spent almost all of her time as if she were a marionette puppet, with the filmmakers controlling her every move. To be able to give up control of your body while delivering such a frenzied performance is astounding and, for me, this beats even her Oscar-winning performance in The Blind Side.

This movie looks like it was filmed in space. What is most astonishing is that all of the exterior spacewalk sequences are 100% digitally created, save for the actor’s superimposed faces inside the suits. Seeing pictures of the crew filming interior scenes is amazing because you realize just how much detail was added digitally. The end result is gorgeous and marks an enormous leap forward in visual effects. There are a few places where you can spot something that looks a little fake but at least 99% of this film looks real.

Not only does director Alfonso Cuarón create a nearly seamless visual extravaganza, he also employs the 3D format in a way that adds weight to the story being told. I don’t think 3D is essential to telling this story but the added depth of 3D really hammers home just how distant and isolated Stone and Kowalski are from Earth and anyone who can save them. It also enhances a few of the scenes where Stone is fumbling along the outside of a space station or spacecraft trying to achieve her goals. Cuarón likes to put long takes into his films and have the camera follow one character or drift between cameras for minutes on end without cutting. These sequences where the camera follows stone as she maneuvers around and along things are also heightened by 3D.

For a film firmly rooted in science and the here-and-now, Gravity has a moment that is open to debate. Late in the film there is a scene that can be interpreted two ways. It can either be scenes as a biological/physiological phenomenon or it can be interpreted in a spiritual way. I can’t say any more than I already have without spoiling things and I strongly encourage you to see this movie. I appreciated this scene and interpreted it the way my own way. Some may complain that this moment is something of a deus ex machine but I find it beautiful and touching. Without it, Stone’s journey is not complete.

Much like the Lord of the Rings movies did a decade before, Gravity sets a new standard by which to judge visual effects in films. It is also a hair-raising nail-biter that blasts your body with multiple adrenaline rushes. It took me at least an hour to recover from watching this film. All praise is due to Alfonso Cuarón for creating the technology necessary to will his vision onto the big screen. The fact that this film was a technical, critical, and box office triumph shows that Hollywood hasn’t completely run out of ideas yet. I can’t wait to see what Cuarón’s got in store for us next.

RATING: 4.25 out of 5

The Blind Side* (2009)

It’s easy to look at the setup of this film and feel your inner cynic rolling his eyes. Letting Disney get their hands on a true story involving sports, an underdog, culture clashes and a dose of family values would seem dangerous. Disney’s track record for these kinds of stories has been spotty at best and usually dripping with schmaltz. Fortunately, The Blind Side doesn’t give in to the usual Disney trappings. Instead, it delivers an emotionally charged, if not semi-predictable, film that works on all levels.

Teenager Michael Oher has been bounced around all his life. From foster homes to his friend’s couch, ‘Big Mike’ finally catches a break when his friend’s father convinces a private school athletics coach to admit the boys for their athletic abilities. At school, Michael befriends a younger boy named Sean Tuohy, Jr. (S.J. for short). This proves to be life-changing when S.J.’s mother feels a sudden surge of compassion for the down-on-his-luck teen.

The Tuohy family takes Michael in, temporarily at first, but Mrs. Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) in particular forms an attachment to the boy. Putting her Christian faith where it counts, she and the family move towards adopting Michael as their son. Along the way, Mrs. Tuohy faces criticism from her friends who are shocked that a well-to-do white woman would even want a lower class African American boy in her home, and Michael faces adversity at school in order to stay on the football team. Football unites Michael and the Tuohy’s as Michael comes to play an important role both on and off the field.

As I mentioned with my review for Invictus, these based-on-a-true-story underdog tales need to be given a little extra context. Had this not been based on the life of a real person, it would have been much easier to skewer Disney for what would feel like a paint-by-numbers upward mobility tale. But because of that ‘true story’ disclaimer, it’s easier to sit back and enjoy this film knowing that it is based, in some part, on fact. Had Disney gone too far with artistic and storytelling liberties, someone would have made a big stink about it.

Nobody made a big stink about The Blind Side, though it’s not hard to pinpoint a few areas where liberties may have been taken. Parts that are played up for emotional impact actually work though, especially when we explore Michael’s former world of poverty, gangs and downward spiraling behavior. Seeing Mrs. Tuohy descend into this world in an effort to help Michael is enough to make any middle class suburbanite nervous. These scenes in particular are probably what propelled Sandra Bullock to her Oscar win for this film, as the rest of it feels pretty generic.

Bullock’s character is tenacious though. Coupled with Michael’s desire to better himself, Bullock plays a believably defensive surrogate mother for her adopted son. The supporting characters all get the job done as well, with youngster Jae Head as the lovably quirky and over-exuberant S.J. Tuohy. Country artist Tim McGraw continues his streak of respectable performances as well as a Southern dad doing his best to aide and support Michael. No one is flat, stale or too over the top for their own good, which is another major victory for Disney.

One interesting side note and word of warning to some of you- don’t expect to see a lot of sports action from this sports story. Most of the film covers Michael’s struggle with schoolwork, self-esteem and building relationships with his new family. These are obviously the most important elements of the film but there is a dash of football every now and then. Just don’t be expecting something along the lines of Friday Night Lights and you won’t be disappointed.

There’s a lot to like about this film. It’s funny, moving, clever and heartfelt all at the same time. Are some parts easy to see coming? Of course, but that’s not this movie’s fault. Despite the number of poor true-story films that get made, and despite their familiar structure, America loves a good underdog tale, true or not. When they can be as consistent and solid as The Blind Side, they are worth remembering.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Crash** (2004)

I don’t have much to say about this film, besides that I think it’s one that everyone should see. I certainly do not think that if everybody sees this that we will gain any ground on race relations in this country, but it will definitely give a lot of people a wake-up call.

Crash is an ensemble drama (like Magnolia), so there isn’t a central character. Instead, we follow the trials and tribulations of several residents of Los Angeles over the course of 36 hours. Ensemble dramas can be difficult for the typical movie-goer, but I think Crash is a film that everyone can be impacted by.

Yes, the racist trends and beliefs existing in our culture as a whole are oversimplified to an extent and there is some convenience in having all the characters connect to each other (although they don’t realize it), but life can be funny like that sometimes. Convenience can be excusable.

If Crash were trying to be an accurate depiction of reality, I would declare the film to be only so-so (the racist blacks are just as ignorant as the racist whites, etc). But, it plays up all the bad stuff in life for a specific set of interconnected individuals for the sole purpose of tugging at our minds and heartstrings. Crash is very good at doing this.

The characters aren’t completely fleshed out, but that makes it more realistic (we rarely know anything too deep about the people we pass by on the street). At the end of the film, you don’t know where our characters will be going next, but that’s the point. It’s a cross-section of racism in many forms today and an excellent thriller. I think it was worthy of Best Picture for it’s brutal portrayal of what life can be like.

RATING: 4 out of 5