Movie Review: Gravity

This weekend, Sandra Bullock defies the laws of film-acting in Gravity, from esteemed director Alfonso Cuaron.

But, before rolling into any form of testimony towards what should be labeled a movie-going experience, there’s something I need to share: the congregation’s resident movie critic got a chance to read Gravity‘s screenplay and wasn’t moved by it. There wasn’t much to the story. The main plot centers on an astronaut — in this case, a medical engineer played by Bullock — stranded in the depths of space. Stating the obvious, a lot would have to depend on Bullock’s ability to carry the film. Sure, she’s opened romantic comedies successfully (The Proposal, Miss Congeniality), as well as some drama (The Blind Side, Speed), but…sci-fi?

This Sister just wasn’t sure she’d pull it off.

Then, of course, there’s the visual effects element. Having been bombarded with “eye candy” all summer, I wasn’t keen on watching yet another CGI film — and in 3D, nonetheless. Those tinted glasses just needed to go away. Shoo! And, despite an impressive resume (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien), I doubted Cauron would be able to achieve the necessary realism of space to completely engross an audience.

Comic-Con 2013 was when my mind began to change. I shivered with anxiety at the brief footage shown. I wanted more.Sandra Bullock’s often tense account of the film-making process was absolutely fascinating. Everyone should know the physical duress she went under in preparation for the role. She trained vigorously for 6-months and spent many hours suspended in a 9×9 cube, with the imminent danger of newly innovative scene-shooting machines (and even robots that were often needed to take control of the direction). A lot of instances included a camera racing towards the film actress at 25 mph, stopping on a dime only an inch from her face.

For a claustrophobic who’s “deathly afraid of flying,” this movie was damn near pushing her to the limit. “I just wanted my body to get to a place where my core could accomplish anything,” Bullock said during the Warner Bros. panel at this summer’s Con. “I wanted the look of her to be as androgynous as I could get, because in the story she experienced such great loss in life that she just stopped doing anything that reminded her of what she was, which was a mother and woman.”

Not even Solitaire?

Now, if this were me, I wouldn’t have made it past 2-weeks. You kidding? I’m lucky if I get through my ellipticol work out – and that’s just an hour a day.

But that’s enough background, you get it. It took months.. no, strike that.. years is how long it took Alfonso Cuaron to prep and deliver this major achievement to the big screen. Parishioners, the payoff is nirvana. We’re talking full-on Holy Spirit up in this house. You will be ensnared from the moment Gravity’s bone-rattling introductory soundtrack blares throughout the theater. Make no mistake; it’s a definite omen of treacherous events which are about to unfold.

Not before moments of the calm and precious, of course.

Floating leisurely about the Hubble telescope, before everything unravels is astronaut Kowalski (George Clooney). It’s his last mission and Dr. Ryan Stone’s (Bullock) first. Because of the flawless 3D conversion and immaculate CGI, we’re automatically pulled into the environment they’re in. The Earth never looked more beautiful. The endlessness of space is totally captured. You’ll also feel the sounds of space, which is nothing. No explosion can ever be heard “out there,” so no sound effect could properly convey it. Cauron’s immersive experience also leads to several extended ultra-length sequences, all pretty admirable for a film just under an hour-and-a-half. And, nothing will touch your soul — or your stomach — like the state of total abandonment Stone felt while fighting for survival.

You’d think with all the technology at our disposal, there’d be a Home Depot around here or something.

Not since Avatar, would I recommend the extra ten to see a film in IMAX 3D. You’ll simply cheapen the overall experience not doing so. You won’t get to feel the anxiety, the fear, and the panic Bullock conveys to astounding perfection. Incidentally, her performance here is far more Oscar worthy than her portrayal of a gun-toting football mom from Texas.

As for George Clooney, he’s George Clooney in pretty much everything and I was okay with that. His charming charisma was needed to counteract Bullock’s despondent character, which had been through quite a bit before landing the job at NASA. I won’t spoil that bit of information, but I can tell you that Dr. Ryan didn’t go into her first day on the job on the with the widest smile. In fact, if Gravity weren’t the cemented title, I would have gone with “Dr. Ryan Can’t Catch A Break, “ because one bad thing happens after another in this poor woman’s life.

If nothing else, she’s a survivor. As a survivor, she’s got to have faith. And movie fans should have faith in Bullock’s performance and the fact there’s never been a cinematic earth-orbitting experience this thrilling. So, do yourself a favor and catch some Gravity this weekend. It’s a groundbreaking film that defies everything you’ve ever known before.

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Review: Halfway to Hell

So far, it’s been an amazing summer. “Fast and the Furious 6” broke a box office record, coming in the fourth highest grossing film for Memorial Day weekend, and “Iron Man 3” is the first solo superhero film to cross $1 billion at the box office. Depending on how the audience takes to them, we can probably expect similar numbers from “Man of Steel” and “Pacific Rim.”

But for those who want a breather from the action and live in Los Angeles, there’s an independent film festival calledDances with Films. The festival, which began May 30 and runs through June 9 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters, showcases a variety of work, some with dark themes. “Halfway to Hell” — which will make its film festival debut and world premiere June 9 — is one such film that will be talked about due to its heavy subject matter.

Written by James Brannon, “Halfway to Hell” tackles a tough subject that most people prefer not to acknowledge or talk about. What happens to convicts once paroled from prison? Well, director and producer Richard Friedman attempts to answer that question with this film, through the lives of several men who live in a halfway house for ex-cons. A transvestite, a heroin addict, a gangbanger, a killer, a lifer desperate to go back to prison, a child molester and a dying house manager help to tell this disturbing narrative.

The halfway house is located in a residential area and, of course, this doesn’t sit well with the locals. Spearheaded by a religious zealot, hordes of people gather outside the residence carrying signs and yelling insulting epithets in protest, hoping the harassment will either cause the tenants to move or force the home’s ultimate shutdown.

Their main concern is with a child molester named Frank, who is played to unsettling perfection by Vince Lozano. It is a performance reminiscent of that given by Jackie Earle Haley of “Little Children.” Because we bare witness to Frank’s inner struggle to overcome his illness throughout the drama, we’re somewhat sympathetic toward him. He clearly understands what he did was wrong and wants to change. But his desire to become good doesn’t negate the fact he’s a danger to society. The angry mob outside the halfway house reminds him of this very fact; every moment he steps foot outside the home is without mercy.

I mention Frank first because he so happens to be one of the root causes for the growing tension between the housemates. Another is Emilio, the gangbanger (Lombardo Boyar). He antagonizes everyone and he won’t stop sexually harassing Marilyn (Alexandra Fulton) from the moment she joins the lot. The lifer (Carl Crudup) and manager, Cliff (Tim deZarn), attempt to keep the peace but to no avail.

As tensions continue to grow inside the home, they do on the outside as well. Both the former inmates living at the halfway house and the expanding crowd surrounding the residence transform into rabid wolves out for blood in a short amount of time. I could write more about the alarming film, but I think it best to allow you the viewer to experience “Halfway to Hell” for yourself.

I will say that Lozano, Boyar, Fulton, deZarn , Crudup, Erik Aude and Michael Emery each gave memorable and honest portrayals of their characters. However, for me, the performances by Fulton, Boyar and Lozano are the ones that truly resonate.

Catch “Halfway to Hell” this Sunday and make sure to stick around after the film for a Q&A with the cast and director. Tickets are available HERE.

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Godzilla: Two On-Set Videos

Due to hit theaters May 16, 2014, Legendary Pictures’ “Godzilla” reboot stars Ken Watanabe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olson, Juliette Binoche, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins and David Strathairn.

For those of you who may not recall, the last Godzilla film, helmed by Roland Emmerich, came out back in 1998 and was skewered by critics. I couldn’t tell you much about that re-imagining off hand because frankly, I don’t remember much about it. But the general consensus was that Emmerich’s version was dreadful all around. Terrible acting, terrible dialogue and impossible scenarios made up his version. With the bar set very low, I don’t think it will take much for director Gareth Edwards to improve upon his predecessor.

Production on the reboot began just over one year ago and Edwards has sent out a video blog to talk about the movie’s progress. Not much is revealed, but what Edwards is able to tell us from his video diary is that there were about 600 extras on set during Elizabeth Olson’s first day of shooting.

Moving on, another vid for the reboot has hit the net from a different source. In this second clip, uploaded to YouTube and shared by DreadCentral, a hydraulic landing craft is tested. The footage is only 10 seconds in length but interesting nonetheless.

Around the same time the Edwards’ video blog was released, photos of Aaron Taylor-Johnson sporting a short haircut emerged on the web. Incidentally, a wardrobe malfunction happened during one of his scenes. You can view the photos and read more about it HERE.

From what’s been revealed so far, I’m optimistic that Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla” will be a film to watch.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to next year’s “Godzilla”?

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Monsters University: Mother’s Day Promo

Just in time for Mother’s Day, here’s a cute promotional clip from the “Monsters University” gang. The spot not only has new footage, it also features a brand new character we haven’t seen before named Mrs. Squibbles, voiced by Julia Sweeney.

Mom to Squishy (Peter Sohn), the doting parent is seen doing what mothers do — fuss about their loved ones. Complete with a hilarious house coat of multi-colors and rollers in her hair, the lovable Mrs. Squibbles is seen giving sage advice and support. Playing in the dark could ruin your eyes. Seatbelts save. Nothing beats being cheered on by your own mother during a game and most importantly, don’t forget to smile.

For those out of the loop, “Monsters University” is the prequel to “Monsters Inc.” In the prequel, we see when Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) meet, which was in college. However, in the original “Monsters Inc.,” Mike stated they’ve known each other since the 4th grade. That’s just a minor detail.

For the official synopsis, keep reading below:

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer — and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

“Monsters University” — which also features the voices of Nathan Fillion, Steve Buscemi, John Krasinksi, Helen Mirren, Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza and Alfred Molina, — opens in theaters June 21 (you can see the trailer here). The film arrives a little late for a Mother’s Day gift, but hey, it’s only a week after Father’s Day.

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: Poster

It’s been months since we’ve seen or heard anything about “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” but in case you may have missed it, an official teaser poster was previously released.

Due out this October, the Sin City prequel follows Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) and his sordid relationship with femme fatale Eva Lord (Eva Green). To help tell the tale, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Powers Boothe and Jamie King are back in their signature roles. Rounding out the cast are newcomers Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni and Dennis Haybert. All are welcome additions to the Sin City universe.

The slick artwork is inspired by comic-book artist and creator Frank Miller, who is co-directing the feature with Robert Rodriguez.

“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” opens August 22, 2014.

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