tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post72853337048406695..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: the Directors: Alfonso CuarónAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-88790420853503676322013-12-21T18:27:48.664-05:002013-12-21T18:27:48.664-05:00All very fair points. I’ve read about most of thos...All very fair points. I’ve read about most of those from various astronauts and experts commenting on the film. But like you said, far more going for it than against it. The biggest one for me was definitely having her speak when she needed to conserve her oxygen. You’re so right, I wanted to yell: “Shut the hell up, you’re killing her!”Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-67674149794955851662013-12-19T22:54:20.745-05:002013-12-19T22:54:20.745-05:00I won't be reviewing it until after the Oscar ...I won't be reviewing it until after the Oscar nominees are announced (assuming it gets nominated for Best Picture, which seems likely), so that's a ways off.<br /><br />BIG SPOILERS FOR GRAVITY. DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT<br /><br />The biggest one is the moment when Clooney unclips himself. Up until that point they'd done a good job representing the weightlessness of space and Newton's action/reaction law. The only thing that would have happened when Clooney unclipped himself is he'd still be floating there, just not clipped on. There's no force acting on him. There's no gravity. There's no centrifigal force. There's no momentum - that's been arrested by the lines around Bullock's leg. If anything, the two of them should be slightly rebounding back towards the station. Remember when Clooney first latched onto her and started to try to tow her and he kept bouncing back? Same thing. So...the whole tragic scene of him sacrificing himself, slowly falling away, just wouldn't have happened. And again there's no force acting on either of them so all they had to do was pull their way back to the station - both of them. That's both the biggest emotional scene and the biggest error, at least that I noticed.<br /><br />And the scene where they're trying to make their way to the station and Bullock is running out of air? Clooney gets her talking to take her mind off of things? Well, talking uses oxygen at a far quicker rate than staying quiet - something she was already doing. Any astronaut would know that. Hell, they even got that right in Spacecamp (1986). Yes, it's intended to be a touching moment, showing how he cares, but I'm just sitting there thinking to myself, "Shut up! You're killing her!"<br /><br />Other things: the shrapnel wouldn't be coming around every 90 minutes. If it's on the same orbital plane as the station to begin with it would no longer be there soon because it's moving faster. More speed means more force pulling it away from Earth, means a higher orbit than the station. And if it's in a different orbit than the station to begin with, say the station is on the Equator and the shrapnel is pole to pole, then it still would be encountered at very irregular times and would be very unlikely to ever intersect again (because the Earth is not a perfect sphere - depending on where you orbit, a single circuit around the planet takes different amounts of time) The point is, it would only happen once, and even if it did happen more often you couldn't set a timer for it.<br /><br />And when Bullock is first sent tumbling attached to the Shuttle's arm she's told to detach because it's carrying her too far away. Detaching wouldn't do anything, though. There's no wind drag to slow her down. Objects "fall" at the same rate of speed in a vacuum regardless of their size, even in a gravity environment, let alone a weightless one. She would still have all the momentum of the arm, just now be a lot smaller and harder to find. She'd have had to detach herself before Clooney could latch onto her, but at least he could have seen her sooner and gotten to her quicker.<br /><br />I just want to note that the very large majority of the film got it right. It's just that the few things that were very noticeable to me coincided with the times they were trying to generate the biggest emotional punch. In a way it almost makes those moments stand out more than if they'd simply not tried to be accurate at all. Picture the "quiet scene" from Children of Men. Now imagine if when Owen walks out of the building the lines of soldiers on either side were holding crossbows, not automatic weapons. What would that have done to the impact of the scene? It would have been distracting - more for some people, less for others.<br /><br />Anyway, long story, well, long, four stars out of five is a very good score from me, so it's got far more going for it than against it.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-53623952542292590042013-12-18T13:57:21.925-05:002013-12-18T13:57:21.925-05:00I'm dying to know what those errors were. I...I'm dying to know what those errors were. I'll look out for your review!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-84945397334230911982013-12-18T12:49:11.086-05:002013-12-18T12:49:11.086-05:00I finally saw Gravity the other day. I liked it q...I finally saw Gravity the other day. I liked it quite a bit. My only complaint is that there were some errors that were distracting, unfortunately during what should have been during two of the most emotional scenes. This weakened the impact of them on me. I gave it four stars out of five. It probably would have been 4.5 stars if I hadn't been taken out of the movie during those key scenes.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-79091272153273264832013-10-22T14:32:00.973-04:002013-10-22T14:32:00.973-04:00Hey man, thanks for the kind words here. Really gl...Hey man, thanks for the kind words here. Really glad you dug the list. Children of Men is definitely tops for me as well. I enjoyed hearing your perspective on Y Tu Mama. I love hearing stuff like that from people who speak the language, you know? I always wonder what little things I'm missing out on.<br /><br />I'm thrilled Gravity is doing so well. Really hope it leads Cuarón to make more movies more often. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-72447453199405689372013-10-17T18:05:21.326-04:002013-10-17T18:05:21.326-04:00Remarkable recap of the career of Alfonso Cuaron. ...Remarkable recap of the career of Alfonso Cuaron. A film maker that deserves every bit of praise and attention that he seems to be finally getting after the success of Gravity. <br /><br />Frankly, I was surprised by the strong returns the film has been posting, but when you factor in Sandra Bullock, George Clooney and a very strong word of mouth, then things can only be the way they turned out to be. I'm happy that it is doing so well so that the director has more freedom and wiggle room when he ventures into his next project. <br /><br />No one can deny the quality of Gravity. There will be some who might argue against the performance of Sandra Bullock, or about the accuracy of the science, or even about the story itself. Going against the craftsmanship and the beauty of the shots would be ridiculous though. Cuaron has made the impossible look effortless. <br /><br />In terms of the list, I've seen the last five and I would rank them the same, even if I would be inclined to give "Y Tu Mama Tambien" a B or B+ and not an A. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I have a little more insight on how it was delivered considering my first language is Spanish. Even though I have some minor issues with it, I still think it's a film that sticks with you, which is only achieved by the better films (or the absolutely horrible ones).<br />Cuaron's best work is in these last two movies. No question in my mind that Children of Men is the best, and one of my personal favorites. <br /><br />Great list!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-22790014181362865962013-10-15T10:12:18.159-04:002013-10-15T10:12:18.159-04:00Nice! I rewatched it for this post and had forgott...Nice! I rewatched it for this post and had forgotten how much a loved it. A great film.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-63362389453297034442013-10-15T02:49:12.600-04:002013-10-15T02:49:12.600-04:00Just watched Y Tu Mamá También (2001) and loved it...Just watched Y Tu Mamá También (2001) and loved it. More than Gravity, honestly. Great list, as usual.Andinahttp://www.inspired-ground.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-8410220170230382292013-10-10T02:30:04.393-04:002013-10-10T02:30:04.393-04:00Love those two flicks. Was so happy that Y Tu Mama...Love those two flicks. Was so happy that Y Tu Mama held up so well on my most recent viewing. A great film. <br /><br />Enjoy Gravity!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-82462943906330208992013-10-10T02:28:55.871-04:002013-10-10T02:28:55.871-04:00Hope Gravity comes your way soon - it's a dooz...Hope Gravity comes your way soon - it's a doozy.<br /><br />I was very surprised by A Little Princess. Had no idea I'd like it as much as I did.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-31075062341581330352013-10-09T20:51:36.736-04:002013-10-09T20:51:36.736-04:00I haven't seen his 90s work, but Y Tu Mama Tam...I haven't seen his 90s work, but Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men are terrific, the former of which is one of the highlights from my current project. I can't wait to finally see Gravity this weekend.Eric @ The Warning Signhttp://twscritic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-34805852862134189922013-10-09T17:18:25.966-04:002013-10-09T17:18:25.966-04:00Great director, very versatile.
I haven't seen...Great director, very versatile.<br />I haven't seen Gravity yet, its not out in the UK yet :(<br /><br />I hold a special place for A Little Princess. It's so charming and has such a big heart.Lights Camera Reactionhttp://lightscamerareaction.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-23599523662387073342013-10-08T17:21:01.937-04:002013-10-08T17:21:01.937-04:00Well, as I imagine you've heard many times by ...Well, as I imagine you've heard many times by now, I HIGHLY recommend you see Children of Men asap. I really think you'll enjoy it!<br /><br />Thanks so much for reading and commenting!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-83441785728712609812013-10-08T16:09:09.016-04:002013-10-08T16:09:09.016-04:00I feel indebted to watch all of his films after ho...I feel indebted to watch all of his films after how amazing Gravity was. I have been publicly shamed for not seeing Children of Men yet. Ugh I wanted to see it so badly when I saw the trailer but at the time (junior year of high school) no one else seemed interested. The only other film I have seen on this list is the Harry Potter one but that was always my favorite one. Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015323238572496175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-31702614365810698602013-10-08T02:22:21.883-04:002013-10-08T02:22:21.883-04:00Solid list. I was pleasantly surprised how well Y ...Solid list. I was pleasantly surprised how well Y Tu Mama has held up. I think it's as thrilling now as it was then. An incredible film.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-58741624601405979432013-10-07T15:36:18.708-04:002013-10-07T15:36:18.708-04:00Great stuff man. Glad you sat through Prisoner of ...Great stuff man. Glad you sat through Prisoner of Azkaban again. I rewatched Great Expectations before I posted my '98 ballot, and I was surprised at how much I loved it. The only major flaw for me is the screenplay, but just about everything else works for me. I'd currently rank his films like this: (not seen his first film yet)<br /><br />1. Children of Men<br />2. Gravity<br />3. Great Expectations<br />4. Y Tu Mama Tambien<br />5. Harry Potter<br />6. A Little PrincessJoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-58985620537697068182013-10-07T13:54:55.425-04:002013-10-07T13:54:55.425-04:00Children of Men and A Clockwork Orange make an ama...Children of Men and A Clockwork Orange make an amazing double feature, great call there! One of my assignments in a cinema class in college was making a list of worthy double features, and those were definitely on mine. Perfect dystopian flicks.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-60928903020855431412013-10-07T13:53:29.589-04:002013-10-07T13:53:29.589-04:00Yeah, of all his work, Great Expectations is the l...Yeah, of all his work, Great Expectations is the least successful to me. Parts of it are just plain boring. Cooper all but saves that film. He's so incredible there.<br /><br />Be interested to hear your thoughts on Gravity.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-76917439354999389852013-10-07T13:51:50.175-04:002013-10-07T13:51:50.175-04:00Thanks! Love those flicks.Thanks! Love those flicks.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-65142066130498798172013-10-07T13:51:16.030-04:002013-10-07T13:51:16.030-04:00Honestly, the first two movies are responsible for...Honestly, the first two movies are responsible for my complete lack of interest in that series. I think they are a complete bore, and they do nothing for me. Cuarón's was a nice change of pace!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-87810688083147634622013-10-07T13:49:50.040-04:002013-10-07T13:49:50.040-04:00Oh man, I think you are absolutely right. I really...Oh man, I think you are absolutely right. I really hope Gravity paves way for him to (easily) do whatever he wants from now on. Hope you have a chance to see the film soon - it's something else.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-72188035211268293762013-10-07T13:48:48.672-04:002013-10-07T13:48:48.672-04:00Solid list, pretty much how I'd put mine as we...Solid list, pretty much how I'd put mine as well. Look forward to your Gravity review!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-2591482890247960832013-10-07T13:48:17.420-04:002013-10-07T13:48:17.420-04:00I was hesitant to label Gravity as "Masterful...I was hesitant to label Gravity as "Masterful" because a little more time needs to pass with that one. The sugar high from that film is very strong, so I'll be interested to see how it lives in the long run. Y Tu and Children of Men are both fantastic films, but if I had to pick a fave, I'd give the edge to Children. Either way, great stuff all around.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-68089026100569840262013-10-07T13:46:14.879-04:002013-10-07T13:46:14.879-04:00Most die hard fans I know of the HP series say Cua...Most die hard fans I know of the HP series say Cuarón's is their favorite. I appreciated it, I just didn't have a clue what the hell was going on in it. That vernacular escapes me. (sigh).<br /><br />A Little Princess is such a sweet little film.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-39426953596188360102013-10-07T13:45:07.240-04:002013-10-07T13:45:07.240-04:00I'm going to have to wait forever to watch Gra...I'm going to have to wait forever to watch Gravity, but this is a cool post. I think Cuaron's adaptation of Great Expectations is the first one I saw, but that's also the reason why I barely remember it.<br />Love Y Tu Mama Tambien, Prisoner of Azkaban (yaaay!) and Children of Men. The latter is my favourite dystopian movie along with A Clockwork Orange.Nikhathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10379713171889712078noreply@blogger.com