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Alfonso Cuarón's new science fiction film with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock(I would have prefered Marion Cotillard who was up for the role at one point) playing the leads, though apparently it's Sandra Bullock on screen for most of the film. After the wonderful Children of Men and one of the darker better Harry Potter films, it's one I'm looking forwards to.

Set on a remote space station, the story begins as a team of astronauts are on an expedition outside the station, but only the team leader (Clooney) and his female colleague (Bullock) are left alive after an exploding satellite kills the other members of the crew, setting off a desperate race home for the latter to get to her child.

The film contains only 156 shots, one of the longest is a 17 minute take for the opening of the film(he played with this in Children of Men also but not as long). Will be released in 3D also.

Alfonso had an idea that he wanted the shots to be incredibly long, and I said, ‘How long?’ And he said he wanted the first shot to be really long. And I said, ‘You mean, 40 seconds?’ ‘No, 17 minutes.’ So it ends up the film only has 156 shots in the entire two-hour movie, many of them six, eight, 10 minutes long.

I was just looking at an article on this movie, sounds interesting. I am a big fan of Children of Men, but I am just wondering how Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are going to pull it off, can't picture them playing those parts.

George Clooney I have no problem seeing, have you seen this remake called Solaris:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...2002poster.jpg

It's Sandra Bullock who is the surprise casting for me, especially going by the type of film it is. Part of it sounds like Moonsque isolation going by interviews with her on the film.

This has been one of my most anticipated must-watch films for at least a year, maybe longer. I cannot wait for this to come out. I've been a fan of Cuaron since A Little Princess and I eagerly await everything he makes.

This week in Pasadena, Gravity had its first test screening, and while the cut was apparently very rough, audiences saw enough to form some strong opinions about it. From here, it sounds like it could be this year’s Tree of Life — gorgeous, innovative, worthy of acclaim, and perhaps a little divisive.

Some of the reactions:

VERY unfinished but heard it’s visually ambitious, interesting but not world-changing.

Despite rough FX, hear good things about last night’s Gravity screening. “Masterpiece, phenomenal, visually amazing.” We’ll see in 200 days.

Went to a test-screening for “Gravity” last night…it was far from being done, but it will be a visual feast when it is…and nothing more.

Gravity is Cuarón’s masterpiece. It’s gonna be divided. Half will think it’s a self-indulgent borefest and half will think it’s amazingly brilliant. The movie is 80% just Sandra Bullock!

He went on to say that he thinks its her best work, particular in the final fifteen minutes (from which he assumes they’ll draw an Oscar clip should that time come) but that the film is Cuarón’s. He called likely nominations for Visual Effects, Picture, Director, Editing (“breathless” action), and Cinematography which he calls “amazing”. Regarding the latter, though, did anyone expect less from eternal Oscar bridesmaid Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life, Children of Men) and Michael Seresin (Midnight Express)?

This is not just next level ****, this is several levels ahead of next level ****, & quite possibly the highest level **** you could possibly make. This is like if Avatar had been released in 1927 a week after The Jazz Singer. People won’t know how to comprehend what they are seeing. In short, Gravity genuinely makes you feel like you have been to space. It really, really does. And guess what? It’s beautiful, and awe-inspiring, and profound (and a little scary too), everything you thought it would be since you first thought about going to space when you were a kid. The movie exploits dreams it knows every sentient being has had, using the best special effects I have personally ever seen. I honestly don’t know how you could enhance a cinematic experience more.

But by the way the film is shot, you feel hopeless. It has some of the best uses of first person POV shots I’ve ever seen, making you feel like you too are hovering right over the Earth, so close yet so far away. Other than Enter the Void, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more physically embodied as an onscreen character. It’s not POV the whole time though, Cauron breaks it up & often utilizes his signature ‘roaming-cameraman-who-never-cuts’ technique, which is very effective when there’s no gravity & for the ‘race-against-the-clockiness’ of the story. However, some people might end up saying that Gravity ends up being too light on story & is just an expensive space roller coaster ride, ‘Space Mountain: The Movie’ if you will. But those people would be wrong, stupid & ungrateful. Gravity is an important & subtle character study wrapped up in the guise of the most technologically advanced film of the new millennium. To me the film is about apathy and isolation. It’s about people today not knowing why they should be excited about living but only knowing they don’t want to die. It’s about looking at your own insignificance in the universe (or on Earth, or at your job, or at your school, etc.) & becoming empowered by it instead of defeated. And most of all, it’s about seeing what it would be like to float through space like an astronaut (spoiler: it’s fun)

I still can’t believe what a great movie this. Wow!!! I don’t think anyone will doubt Sandra again after seing this. what a performance!

Sandra was amazing and I think this will be an easy nomination for her. [...] As great as the directing and music was throughout, there is no way the movie could have worked so well if she wasn’t up for the task. I don’t think she has ever been more pyshical or vulnerable on screen and she did very well in the quiet, dialogue free moments. It’s a great vehicle for her.

Overall I thought it was a very suspenseful and engaging movie. Even with the extremely long takes it never dragged or became boring in my opinion.

Love Children of Men. This has me very excited.

Ugh, why does it have to be Sandra Bullock?

The movie is 80% just Sandra Bullock!

God dammit

To think, it could have been Marion Cotillard in 80% of the film! but I'm waiting to see if Bullock really can surprise.

Alright, brace for impact...

I like Sandra Bullock. She's the only reason I ever watch anything that could be called a romantic comedy. I think she's charming as hell.

Given how much I love Cuaron as a director, I can't imagine her being any kind of down side for this film.

There. I said it.:D

I don't like actors,i must say...but movie sounds interesting.

actually,this is movie i anticipate the most most

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX5EKEF37CU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufsrgE0BYf0

I'll see anything Cuaron puts out. Dude is a genius.

This is obviously an attempt at being the modern-day 2001: A Space Odyssey, so I'm curious to see how it compares to that.

I'm pretty hopeful. I remember seeing Children of Men the night it came out way back when - one of my favorites.

Originally Posted by Nausicaä (Post 809398)

To think, it could have been Marion Cotillard in 80% of the film!

:( I would have watched the hell out of that.

This film will fail because of Sandra Bullock. She is not a strong actress, she's not. I know she won an undeserved oscar for that crappy The Blindside, but she can not carry a film like this. Because of her this film will be a 6.5-7.0 at best. Clooney is a fine actor, she is not. Sorry folks, it's true.

Just watched the trailers earlier today and it looks like its going to be epic.

I do actually think this will be pretty good. I'm becoming a bigger fan of Clooney.

Originally Posted by rauldc14 (Post 932330)

I do actually think this will be pretty good. I'm becoming a bigger fan of Clooney.

Loved him in UP IN THE AIR, THE AMERICAN, and THE DESCENDANTS, and I've always loved Bullock. If this film is even half as good as the trailer, it's going to be amazing!

i put this one in my watchin list in imdb

The effects look like they would be great. But I couldn't have less interest in Sandra Bullock floating around in space and moaning for 2 hours.

Originally Posted by Galatz (Post 970944)

The effects look like they would be great. But I couldn't have less interest in Sandra Bullock floating around in space and moaning for 2 hours.

Exactly.

Still think it will suck. Do you know how many terrible movies critics loved? A place beyond the pines, The American. Both were horrible, and lasted twice as long as they should have.

Um, most people I know thought Place Beyond the Pines was awesome, and I can't wait to watch it for myself, so...

EDIT: I meant Place Beyond the Pines at the end there. I'm still not that interested in Gravity.

Originally Posted by Cenydd Ros (Post 975035)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVUDkC8_wrQ#t=75

One thing I find interesting about this interview is that Alfonso has to answer questions about this being a sci-fi film. This film is not science fiction. It has nothing to do with science fiction. It is a thriller set in the current reality we live in. WE ARE A SPACE GOING PEOPLE and this film depicts current real tech and even decommissioned tech. Anyone who thinks this is sci-fi or fantasy is ignorant. This is no more a sci-fi film than a film about the war in Iraq or business on Wall Street. This is drama. This is a thriller. These are real states of possibility.

BTW, for anyone who doesn't already know - next year NASA will launch the Orion Crew Vehicle on an unmanned test drive. The Orion will return NASA to a capsule design for long range space flight, and will be able to travel to the Moon and beyond. NASA is also developing the Space Launch System (SLS), a giant Saturn V type rocket that can carry payloads into deep space.

Hate to break it to you, but it'll be a miracle if that program ever makes it off the ground. Funding cuts and disinterest in space exploration by the public. Maybe Gravity can help change that.

Originally Posted by Galatz (Post 970946)

Still think it will suck. Do you know how many terrible movies critics loved? A place beyond the pines, The American. Both were horrible, and lasted twice as long as they should have.

If you approach the film with the smarmy, cynical attitude displayed here, you probably won't like it. Just as long as you realize that your uninformed opinion is just speculation and is completely irrelevant.

YOUR loss, but go ahead and stay home. The seat in the theater should be filled with people that go into the film without slaying it, when all they have seen is a trailer.

Actually seeing the movie (a HUGE hassle, I know) makes it much easier to post an informed opinion, which yours is certainly not...

Irish panned the flick a bit, but that was AFTER he had actually seen it, so he has a referent from which to draw his opinion.

By the bye - I have been to the Mugar Omni theater many a time, Irish! I live in Marlborough, MA.

Originally Posted by Sedai (Post 977829)

Irish panned the flick a bit, but that was AFTER he had actually seen it, so he has a referent from which to draw his opinion.

By the bye - I have been to the Mugar Omni theater many a time, Irish! I live in Marlborough, MA.

Yeah Sedai, and I always say this whenever I tell someone about a movie, my opinion is my opinion you know, and believe me, when discussing cinema I know my opinion differs from a fair amount sometimes. Trust me, I can completely see why Gravity received such rave reviews, why people liked it, and I believe I even noted that the special effects and 3D were great, probably the only time I will admit to enjoying a 3D movie, but for me, and me alone, I expected really engaging characters, a deep story, etc,etc, and that is my fault, and honestly I don't even think the movie was marketed that way, so I have only myself to blame, but thats my opinion, and as far as I know, no one is paying me for that lol.

But yeah, generally speaking, an individual should see the movie in question before commenting, otherwise its just....gossip....

Go OMNI bro, I'm down in Dallas,TX, the OMNI was a staple for us kids growing up lol

I saw "Gravity." Visually, I thought it was great, but I didn't think it had a very strong story. The visuals were really the only thing about it that I felt was remarkable. The story and acting were serviceable at best.

Many of these reviews read like those for 2001 when it first came out, and for some people, now.

True, but I imagine 2001 had a lot more deeper meaning than Gravity. :D

even when she provides a genuinely great performance, i still can't enjoy bullocks on-screen presence. anyone else feel this?