(Think about it: How long does it take a steak to even get frost on it when you put it in the freezer?) We see the bodies of the dead shuttle crew, frozen, when in reality that would take hours to happen.Of course, there were lots of other things, most too trivial to spend time on. The attention to some details was staggering. And I’m far more willing to be forgiving when it’s clear a huge effort was made to get as much right as possible, which is obviously what director Alfonso Cuarón did (an interview at Collect Space confirms all this). The plot of Gravity, unfortunately, does rely on some pivotal science boo-boos, but I understand sacrifices have to be made sometimes for the sake of the movie itself-without them, there’s no movie at all. The story lives or dies on the story, not whatever shortcuts it may need to take to move that story along, as long as those shortcuts don’t leap out and bite you on the nose. I’ll go over a few below, but I want to make myself very clear: My days of nitpicking a movie’s errors to death just because I can are behind me. There were some distractions in the form of scientific missteps. The drama and urgency were so riveting that I was essentially living in the moment, just experiencing the movie. I generally shy away from movies that are all effects and no plot, but the immersive directing coupled with flawless effects-especially with the 3-D-was so compelling that I honestly felt the simple plot was not a concern as the movie unfolded. I mean, seriously: The special effects are superb. That’s because the graphics really are all that. She uses a Russian Soyuz berthed to the ISS to get to the Chinese space station, where she finds a re-entry rocket capable of getting her back to Earth. Clooney is out of fuel in his Manned Maneuvering Unit and sacrifices himself to save Bullock. Clooney and Bullock make their way to the International Space Station, which is also damaged. Before they can return to their Shuttle Orbiter, the shrapnel flies past, destroying the spacecraft and killing the crew. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney portray astronauts orbiting the Earth on a routine extravehicular activity mission when a call comes from NASA: A Russian missile has destroyed a satellite, and the debris is headed their way at several kilometers per second. The plot of the movie can be summed up pretty briefly. Let me add that this is not your standard movie review if you want thematic dissection and all that, then go read my colleague Dana Steven’s piece on Slate. (I recommend that you check out the accompanying documentary, which is offered as a "special feature" on the DVD.What follows below are spoilers, so fairly warned be thee, says I. kudos to director and writer Cuarón for approaching this little-known, yet globally effecting subject, which not only effects the environment but also the future of human space exploration and communications. The ecological situation this film presents is quite serious, and not something that one might have been previously aware of. The not-so-subtle metaphors for gestation, birth, re-birth, and evolution are beautifully illustrated in this film, and give the viewer an eloquent buffet of food-for-thought. There is a faint hint of "2001: Space Oddessy" in the scent of this film, though it clearly stands apart. Clooney's performance may be generic (due to his weak-water scripting,) but Bullock's performance is impressive, and uncharacteristically physical. The special effects and astounding real-ness of this film, however, blew me away! The attention to detail and the shocking realism of the actors' weightlessness is stunning! Though I warn you: anyone who is highly sensitive to motion sickness will want to avoid this film. NOTHING needed to be said here, especially not this dribble that was passed off as dialogue. Everything that needed to be known could have simply been shown in a couple of captions, and expressed through body language/facial expressions. Script: 0 If this had been a silent film, it would have been perfect, but, sadly, it's rife with banal and irritating chitter-chatter, none of which was used to truly propel the story nor profoundly flesh-out the characters.
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