Gravity (IMAX 3D)

"Ground control to Major Tom..."

                                                 "Aaarrrgggghhhhhh- ooo, a penny!"

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón

CAST: American middle-class woman that cares about black people and a man who stares at goats...

PLOT: During a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock's Dr. Ryan Stone and George Clooney's Lieutenant Matt Kowalski are detached from the Hubble Space Telescope after they collide with debris, thus kickstarting their struggle to get home.

Now that I've caught my breath, what follows is a series of words and grunts that will try and do justice (and probably fail) to not only one of the best films of the year, nor merely one of the best science-fiction films of all time, but one of the best films of all time. 

Alfonso Cuarón previously said, and it's unclear as to whether or not he was joking, that he wanted to actually make Gravity in space, but studios (rightfully) wouldn't take him seriously due to the cost and the possible dangers for the A-list duo. Something for the future, maybe? Luckily that doesn't matter for now, though, as you could easily be tricked into thinking that this was genuinely filmed in space. The first few minutes could even pose as a documentary - albeit a stunningly cinematic one.

Bullock's and Clooney's performances are both magnificent; true tests in what actors will go through to capture performances so realistic. Often having to act on their own, Bullock puts in the performance of her career, and Clooney is a safe bet as usual, the sort of charismatic and calm voice you would want up there with you if you were to put yourself in the same predicament. 

But despite all of this, Cuarón is the real star. His vision to create something so monumental is both audacious and inspiring; not many directors would have been so far-reaching, but if anyone was to pull it off it would be the amazing Cuarón, who went as far to invent new shooting equipment with his production team in order to recreate what was existing in his mind. The first ten minutes or so is one continuous shot that will be enough to make many a viewer feel queasy, and accompanied by the fantastic CGI, you will be drawn into the film from there on in. This is a technical dream that will confuse not only film fans, but also filmmakers, prompting head scratching and question asking.

And that isn't all. Cuarón also manages to make the most impressive 3D film, ever. James Cameron needs to take a shit on his own face after seeing this, because there is not a better film at utilising the third dimension to such awe-inducing effect. Even with almost $150 million short of Avatar's budget, Cuarón and his effects team has set the bar high and proved that 3D may not be a gimmick after all. If 3D films looked this good all of the time, then it would be the preferred medium to view films. I for one cannot imagine seeing Gravity in two-dimensions (in fact, I could live with never seeing it again, as a television screen at home will never live up to the same expectations). See it in IMAX if possible because it really puts the grand scale of things into perspective; there were times when I was so engulfed by the narrative that I could imagine myself to be up there with the astronauts, especially in the opening scene.  

                                                     "No, this isn't Ellen Ripley..."

Some viewers have gone as far to criticise the constant dialogue coming from Bullock throughout the film despite the fact that she is often on her own. Defense is due for Cuarón and his son, as this choice is the correct one. It isn't expositional, it's sometimes character development, but it's always to add further feeling to the film. Imagine yourself in the protagonist's position: on your own in space, trying to survive a mountainous situation, with nobody to speak to. It's only natural that you would constantly speak to yourself in a bid to keep yourself sane, to keep yourself from giving up. Most people speak to themselves every single day when they are alone and performing the simplest of tasks. If you're trying to survive a cataclysmic event in outer space, you're going to keep on fucking talking to yourself.

And it's this feeling of isolation that serves the film so strongly. Never has there been a film that has represented space as true (I would imagine) as this - beautiful, peaceful, and very frightening, dangerous and empty, which is further highlighted by no diegetic sounds of rubble and objects colliding, accompanied by an almost perfect score that is unfortunately, only now and then, a little too overwhelming, namely in the final shot. But there's no cutaways to Houston, no cutaways to loved ones watching news reports, no cutaways to Earth. We stay with our protagonist in every single shot; this is our journey as well. Show future astronauts this film and they may very well question their career choice there and then.

Everything about this film is brave: the performances, the technicalities, the use of effects, and the beautiful cinematography and camerawork that incorporates unflinching long takes and POV shots that exists alongside the third dimension perfectly. Cuarón and co. deserve all of the plaudits. Believe the hype. See this before it exits the cinemas, there is literally no other way to witness it. This is what cinema is made for.

* * * * *

Thor: The Dark World

"Oh, for Thork's sake!"

                                                             Brains... or braun? 

DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor

CAST: James Hunt, the Black Swan, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hannibal Lecter, Bootstrap Bill, Nelson Mandela, Doctor Who? and a pair of boobs...

PLOT: With Loki imprisoned for kicking seven shades of shit out of New York City, all seems to be well in the Nine Realms... until Christopher Eccleston's hideous Dark Elf decides to kick seven shades of shit out of the universe.

The second 'Phase 2' Marvel movie since The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World had a lot to live up to having to follow up this year's monumentally successful and entertaining Iron Man 3. With Kenneth Branagh, director of Thor's first solo outing, out of the realm and replaced by esteemed US TV drama director of quality shows such as Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, and err, Sex and the City? you would put your money on the franchise being in safe hands.

Aside from the irritating pair of boobs that is Kat Dennings, and the equally irritating score that accompanies the light-hearted scenes on Earth (of which there are a fair few), and the, at times, weak editing and pacing, Thor: The Dark World continues to do justice to Marvel's cinematic master plan, offering comedy (most of which comes in the final confrontation), impressive action sequences (of which we needed more of), and charismatic performances from the ever-reliable and enviable Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston (of which we can't get enough of).

It could have been a lazy, but safe bet, to simply have made this Loki: The Dark World, as Hiddleston's career-marking character does show up before Thor even does; but instead he serves as an intelligent narrative device, rather than the entire narrative itself. We await Hiddleston's arrival into the action-fold with excitement, but it doesn't come until the halfway mark. Unsurprisingly, once that halfway mark is hit, the film excels and gets a lot more interesting. At the end of the day, we couldn't really give a monkey's shit about all of the 'sciency' exposition that tries to explain fictional happenings, all we want to do is watch Thor hit people with a hammer, and Loki charm his way into subconsciously manipulating all of the male viewers to question (or cement) their sexuality for almost two hours.

                                                                      Hammer time!

Unfortunately, the other main reason as to why this Thor adventure doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, other than the Branagh's solid direction, is the villain. As with the majority of superhero films, the ones with the best villains tend to stand out. You don't watch The Dark Knight for Christian Bale's in-need-of-a-Soother Batman, you watch it for Heath Ledger's stunning portrayal of The Joker. 

And although Loki still isn't necessarily a stereotypical hero, his threat and presence as the main antagonist is sorely missed. Christopher Eccleston's hideous Dark Elf, Malekith, isn't given enough screen time and his motivations aren't as clear or interesting as Loki's engaging backstory. Malekith seems to wreak havoc for havocs sake. A villain that wants to destroy the entire universe lacks any hint of empathy and we cannot see why he would want to do anything that he does. You'll end up missing Loki's wise-cracking ways and fabulously evil costume.

Overall, the film is better when hammers are being swung and effects are being fully utilised, namely when we get to see a lot more of Asgard. Where Branagh's 2011 Thor was arguably better when people were talking and joking with its comedic fish-out-of-water story, this one often falls flat and is much funnier during the climax that gleefully dots around London and the rest of the universe. It seems as though the antagonist should have been given a more credible backstory instead of Hemsworth's and Portman's forced romance, and the strange love triangle that is born with it which doesn't even have its surface scratched. Had Eccleston's evil-doer been given the full works, and a more solid script that didn't feel as if it needed saving by Joss Whedon towards the end of production, this could have been one of the best Marvel films yet.   

* * * ½