Gravity (2013) (2 Viewers)

[DaveF]

I watched Gravity in IMAX 3D. This is the most emotional movie I've seen in a long time.It was on the whole spectacular.

 

[Wayne_j]

Excellent movie that should be seen in 3D on the largest screen you can get to. Unfortunately, the shots used in the movie are the type that often result in cross talk on home displays.

Other than the possibility of problems for home viewers, this joins the ranks of Avatar, Hugo, and Life of Pi for well done modern 3D movies.

 

[WillG]

Saw it this weekend. Visually it was amazing. Saw it in IMAX 3D. I usually never get motion sickness, but I did get minor queasiness when Bullock first got detached from the shuttle and the POV shots of her spinning through space. But in a way, I kind of liked it because my attitude was "if this is what it really feels like........"

Story was good, was kept lean at 90 minutes. I think I did get a little worn out on Bullock talking to herself a lot, even though I understand why. Noticed they had to make a compromise with the opening text saying there is nothing to carry sound in space for the people who would have gone "Where the hell is the sound of all this stuff getting destroyed" I kind of wished they didn't do that and just let the people who don't get it figure it out.

Had some panic when

Spoiler

Clooney returned, with Vodka no less. Thankfully it was just in Bullock's imagination

Also what was the movie going for with

Spoiler

the fetus shot of Bullock

and

Spoiler

The very end where Bullock tentatively walks on to the barren shore. It certainly seems to be making some sort of evolution allegory (especially since there's an earlier shot of a frog swimming in the water). Some sort of parallel to "2001" perhaps?

 

[Tino]

SPOILERTo me the last shot of the film was simply......GRAVITY

 

[Tino]

Further boxoffice analysis from www.boxofficeguru.com

THIS WEEKEND Alfonso Cuarón's outer space survival thriller Gravity defied conventions both creatively and commercially and smashed the opening weekend record for October with a sensational $55.6M, according to estimates, to lead the North American box office accounting for half of all ticket sales in the top ten. The Warner Bros. release starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney took advantage of a perfect storm of sensational reviews, strong starpower, and awards buzz attracting a huge turnout which was especially impressive given that it was an original film with no built-in audience. It opened like a summer tentpole.Gravity averaged a scorching $15,538 from 3,575 theaters over the weekend and was a major shot in the arm to the 3D and IMAX formats. With its captivating visuals and intense use of CG effects, moviegoers found it a film experience worthy of paying premium ticket prices for. A mind-boggling 80% of the weekend gross came from 3D screens. That's double the rate that many 3D action films enjoy these days. $11.2M, or 20%, of the gross came from the 323 IMAX locations for a sizzling $34,754 average.Both Bullock and Clooney set new opening weekend career records with Gravity. Bullock just gave herself a new benchmark this past June with the $39.1M debut of The Heat while Clooney, who doesn't normally have big openings outside of his signature Ocean's franchise, beat his previous best of $42.9M set way back in 1997 with the mega-flop Batman & Robin.After this weekend, Bullock cements her status as Hollywood's most bankable actress. Four of her last six films have opened to more than $30M. She was the primary lead in all four and none were franchise movies with built-in audiences. With the romantic comedy The Proposal, the football drama The Blind Side, the buddy cop comedy The Heat, and the space thriller Gravity, the Oscar-winning actress sells across all genres. That sets her apart from Angelina Jolie who struggles to open movies outside of her action safety zone.After generating ample awards buzz by playing a trifecta of key film festivals - Venice, Telluride, and Toronto - Gravity became red hot and then generated fantastic reviews from all around. The PG-13 pic became that rare breed - a prestige picture with broad commercial appeal. Strong marketing helped attract the sci-fi crowd allowing it to pull from multiple audience segments. Friday kicked off with a solid $17.5M while Saturday saw an impressive 31% surge to $23M. Sunday is estimated to drop by 35% to $15M.For October, the space disaster film beat the month's previous record for best opener which was $52.6M set in 2011 by Paranormal Activity 3. The margin of victory may not have been too much, and the horror hit didn't have premium ticket prices to boost grosses, however Gravity's performance was amazing considering it was an original film. The other seven biggest October openings of all-time are either sequels or animated films and until now, no original live-action film had ever opened to north of $40M in either September or October.According to studio research, Gravity skewed more towards the guys with 54% of the audience being male. Not surprising for a movie set almost entirely in space. A very high 59% were over the age of 35 and audience satisfaction was good as the pic earned an A- grade from CinemaScore.Produced for roughly $100M, Gravity opened like a summer blockbuster. In fact, it debuted better than every live-action film released since June's World War Z starring Clooney's pal Brad Pitt. Plus the road ahead seems bright given the positive buzz and older audience. That means holdover competition it will give to upcoming mature-skewing adult dramas Captain Phillips and The Fifth Estate will be even stronger.Gravity is just getting started with international territories but it's already looking to become a fall behemoth with the majority of fans paying extra for the 3D and IMAX formats, just like their North American comrades. 27 markets opened this weekend delivering $27.4M with 3D accounting for an average of 70% of the gross. Russia led with $8.1M, 75% from 3D. The format's share in Germany was a phenomenal 97% this weekend and 95% in Italy. Key markets like Brazil, Korea, Mexico, France, Japan, and the U.K. are still to come and the studio is still trying to confirm a release in China, the most lucrative overseas market for 3D and IMAX content.

 

[rich_d]

Not a 3D guy, but saw Gravity in IMAX 3D and very glad I did. As others have indicated this is a film to see on the biggest screen available.

As far as the film goes ... wow ... quite the heart-pumping ride.

 

[Jason_V]

All three of us loved Gravity in 3D. Very easily in the top three movies I've seen in the theater this year; I wasn't bored and my attention didn't wander at all. This is a captivating movie from beginning to end: I especially loved the opening 13 minute "unbroken" shot introducing the environment and characters. That was a work of genius in my book.

I don't know if any home environment would be able to replicate the theater experience, but I can't wait to see this one again. Mesmerizing, intelligent, captivating, gorgeous...just wow.

 

[DaveF]

Also what was the movie going for with

Spoiler

the fetus shot of Bullock

I took it as an interlude. Stone was exhausted, and in the first moment of relief fell asleep. And in 0g, I think you curl up like that naturally. and

Spoiler

The very end where Bullock tentatively walks on to the barren shore. It certainly seems to be making some sort of evolution allegory (especially since there's an earlier shot of a frog swimming in the water). Some sort of parallel to "2001" perhaps? Struggling against gravity after being in 0g for some duration.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The Hollywood Reporter: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin reviews 'Gravity'

 

[Sam Posten]

Loved it, I understand the barebones plot was choice but wish there was a little more skeleton for the great visuals, performance and emotions to hang on.

Only other complaint is that the terrific soundtrack had to compete with the songs the characters chose 2-3 times.

Loved the nods to 2001, I think those were very subtle.

 

[mattCR]

Anytime you get an Astronaut to kick your film with something like:

We're in a very precarious position of losing all the advancements we've made in space that we did 40 years ago, 50 years ago. From my perspective, this movie couldn't have come at a better time to really stimulate the public. I was very, very impressed with it.

You've done something special. Great link Adam

 

[Sam Posten]

On the sound:
http://gizmodo.com/the-sound-of-gravity-total-realism-1441954725?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/10/gravity-space-silence-composer/

 

[Citizen87645]

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a little less impressed compared to Buzz Aldrin. I thought the movie was thrilling for all the reasons cited already.

Spoiler

However, I tend to struggle a bit when characters talk to their deceased loved ones, whether it's at a graveside (a la Saving Pvt. Ryan) or in a space capsule. My initial reaction is skepticism, and then I have to think through why it has to be there for the storytelling. Given the choice between an actor monologue and a voice over for their internal thoughts, the former is obviously the better option. But it still takes me out of the movie every time. The notion that Ryan's landing was just another hallucination is interesting. I don't agree, but I admit it's fun to consider in light of film's like Jacob's Ladder. But I would have a problem if someone were to insist this is what the filmmakers were going for. Nothing in the narrative supports this idea.Finally, her going into a fetal position I took as a reference to 2001.

 

[TravisR]

I'm glad there's killjoy nerds like Tyson to tell us that a work of fiction wasn't factually accurate.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I ended up seeing the first hour or so of the film *twice* in order to see the film as a whole. I mentioned elsewhere (LCVG) that the first viewing was interrupted by some poor gentlemen having a heart attack (during the fire and her escape into the Soyuz escape capsule). The film was stopped and the theater eventually evacuated. The film had been exceptionally engrossing and thrilling up to that point.

I took in a second (and first full) viewing the next day. The first hour remained equally as potent, and the remainder of the film living up to and exceeding what had come before. Cuaron and his wonderful team were really working on another level for this film. I did see it in IMAX (babyMAX) 3D, and it was worth every penny. The film spends every minute with Dr. Ryan Stone, and it feels almost real time. I find "reviewing" it to be a challenge because it was a fairly overwhelming experience, potent and exhausting in the best ways cinema can be. Gravity doesn't lend itself to prose descriptions, and how many times can I say "awesome" to convey what it was like to watch it.

The incredible technical skill used to choreograph these flawless shots was all in service of connecting the audience to the emotions and journey the lead character is on. There are some more high-minded elements at play (the "in utero" shot of Bullock, the frog, etc), and I found them smoothly integrated in a non-obtrusive way. I think Bullock and Clooney are both pretty sensational, and I think Bullock was actually the best possible choice for Dr. Stone. She has an under-stated presence that lets you believe she is the same person in first five minutes and in the last five minutes. I think Clooney's Kowalski projected a professional, calming presence that rang true to his character...even his levity and "every guy"ness demonstrated a purpose.

In the end, this is a movie made for movie screens. After a million sequels and high concept hero's journeys, after tie-ins and superheroes and too similar action scenes (some of which I enjoyed, of course), it was almost cleansing to get such an extraordinary movie, made with a master's skill. A film made to NOT simply sell something else, but rather to awe the audience for the price of their movie ticket, to briefly connect them with each other and with everything else. This was the kind of film we remember seeing for the first time, the kind that rewards self-professed film lovers with something unique and special. Cuaron is making a habit of amazing.

Gravity was not perfect, but I also don't think it could have been any better.

 

[Citizen87645]

 

[Greg.K]

I'm glad there's killjoy nerds like Tyson to tell us that a work of fiction wasn't factually accurate.

Note that Tyson says he enjoyed Gravity. It's Gawker saying that Tyson says the movie is crap, not Tyson himself.

I don't think pointing stuff like this out (either by him or by Phil Plait) makes him a killjoy.

 

[TravisR]

When he said how the stars were in the wrong position in sky in Titanic, I'd give him that because that movie prided itself on its historical accuracy and attention to detail but pointing out the fake parts of a movie that is obviously fiction is just lame.

 

[Brett_M]

I saw this last Saturday in 3-D. I was blown away. Most of the superlatives above do it justice. Such a well-crafted film experience.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

Enjoyed the film. Bothered by the mishandling of physics in certain scenes.