Review: Gravity (2013) — Bringing Art Back to the Multiplex; an Out-of-This-World Big-Screen Experience

From Oscar-nominated Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity is the long-awaited directorial follow-up to the filmmaker’s acclaimed and ground-breaking dystopian science-fiction film Children of Men, released all the way back in 2006. Seven years is a long time between films — especially with the buzz that Children of Men generated with audiences — but thankfully Gravity is every bit the worthy continuation in Cuarón’s stellar filmography (which also includes the best Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Gravity is minimalist sci-fi at its best: veteran astronaut Kowalski (George Clooney) leads his final space expedition and finds himself guiding rookie engineer Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullock) on her first. When debris irreparably damages their shuttle during a space-walk, the duo find themselves at the mercy of the vast isolation of space with time, and oxygen, running out and obstacles mounting.

No kidding, the WHOLE MOVIE looks like this!

Gravity is a visually transcendent film: amongst the best looking films in the past ten years, potentially amongst the best of all time. Cuarón made a name for himself with Children of Men with his complex visual compositions and unusually long shot takes. Gravity steps this up to another level; the opening shot of the film is a staggering 13 minutes without cuts! Considering the number of camera movements in that single shot — which starts out serenely and winds up in total chaos — along with the awe-inspiring photography (courtesy of Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life), it’s no wonder that Gravity has esteemed visual film-makers such as James Cameron and Rian Johnson gushing its praises.

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by Luke Miksa on October 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Film Reviews

Tagged Alfonso Cuarón, Film Reviews, George Clooney, Gravity, Movies, Sandra Bullock, Sci-Fi

Posted by Luke Miksa on October 5, 2013

https://sorryimlate.com/2013/10/05/review-gravity-2013-bringing-art-back-to-the-multiplex-an-out-of-this-world-big-screen-experience/

In Defence of: BAT-FLECK

Luke Miksa's: The Negative Space Bar

The biggest movie news story this past week — as well as perhaps the biggest casting news of the year — was Warner Bros. deciding on their newest man to don Batman’s iconic cape and cowl in the sequel to this year’s Superman flick, Man of Steel. That man is of course Ben Affleck, and the casting became a huge talking point for anyone with an interest in the subject. By talking point, I am referring to the shockingly negative backlash from superhero fans, film fans, and the internet in general.

Within days — hours, even — of the news breaking, message boards and comment sections were overflowing with people spewing their hate-filled vitriol at the decision. Let me repeat: people were genuinely angry and upset at this decision. There was a lot of this:

If you don’t have the time to watch that video (you don’t), that is a TEN MINUTE rant over — and I can’t stress this enough — an actor simply being cast as a fictional character.

How is it possible to cast judgement over something that doesn’t even exist yet?

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MIFF 2013 Review: Drinking Buddies (2013) — A Loosely Scripted but Massively Charming Bender

Independent darling and micro-budget director extraordinaire Joe Swanberg has been a busy guy: he has over a dozen directing credits to his name in the past ten years, not to mention a large number of acting appearances and producing credits. A pioneer of the “mumblecore” movement has certainly been churning out the features, which have honestly not made any major waves outside of the festival circuit. The romantic comedy Drinking Buddies may be his mainstream breakthrough picture; a slightly higher budget has brought with it a more recognisable cast, which in turn should make it more attractive to a wider audience. The good thing is that Drinking Buddies does deserve a wider audience due to its charming leads and realistic take on modern romance.

This promo pic is phony: Jake Johnson has a beard throughout the movie.

The film follows Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson), workers at a Chicago brewery. They share an undeniable chemistry; they drink hard and they flirt hard. These feelings go unspoken due to both of them being in relationships with other people (Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick, respectively). Things come to a head when the two couples take a weekend vacation that rocks the foundations of both these partnerships, who then have to traverse rocky terrain filled with sexual tensions and relationship hurdles.

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by Luke Miksa on August 28, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Film Reviews

Tagged Anna Kendrick, Drinking Buddies, Film Reviews, Jake Johnson, Joe Swanberg, MIFF, Olivia Wilde, Romantic Comedies, Ron Livingston

Posted by Luke Miksa on August 28, 2013

https://sorryimlate.com/2013/08/28/miff-2013-review-drinking-buddies-2013-a-loosely-scripted-but-massively-charming-bender/

MIFF 2013 Review: You’re Next (2013) — A Game-Changing New Twist on an Old Classic

You’re Next has a pretty basic premise… on the surface: Erin (Australia’s Sharni Vinson) joins her boyfriend Crispian (AJ Bowen) as his somewhat dysfunctional family gathers together at a secluded house to celebrate his parents anniversary. Things go awry when strangers with sinister intentions pay the family a visit, although these trespassers may have underestimated one of their targets.

The only thing is You’re Next is far from a basic home-invasion picture, as all pre-conceived notions of how the narrative will play out are shattered by the second act: this is a film that creatively gives the horror genre a huge shot in the arm, as it takes some incredible risks creatively, and it’s astonishing to see the results successfully played out on screen.

Point Break 2: Dead Kitties

You’re Next is the creative result of the collaborative effort of the new-wave of American horror film-makers; led in this instance by director Adam Wingard (V/H/S) and featuring fellow directors Joe Swanberg (dir. Drinking Buddies) and Ti West (dir. The Innkeepers) in acting roles. These young film-makers are revitalising the genre by acknowledging that current audiences are well aware of the generic horror tropes — in this case the clichés which are found in the home-invasion sub-genre — and go out of their way to subvert the audiences expectations, which makes for a surprising and enjoyable thrill-ride.

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by Luke Miksa on August 9, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Film Reviews

Tagged Adam Wingard, Film Reviews, Horror, Joe Swanberg, MIFF, Slasher, Ti West, You're Next

Posted by Luke Miksa on August 9, 2013

https://sorryimlate.com/2013/08/09/miff-2013-review-youre-next-2013-a-game-changing-new-twist-on-an-old-classic/

Review: This Is the End (2013) — Apocalypse is the Perfect Occasion for Improv Comedy

This Is the End

What we have here is possibly the most brilliant high-concept pitch ever conceived for a comedy: What would happen if a ragtag collection of popular comedians — all playing themselves — were trapped together in James Franco‘s mansion as the apocalypse rages outside? This is exactly what you get with This Is The End, from the writing and, for the first time, directing combination of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (Superbad, Knocked Up, The Green Hornet).

This Is The End does a fantastic job of taking the personalities of these real-life stars and either embellishing or subverting them. The

Pants-Off-A-Clypse! (sorry)

relationship of Jay Baruchel (She’s Out Of My League, Goon) and Seth Rogen takes centre stage as Baruchel, well-known for eschewing the Hollywood lifestyle in favour of a permanent residence in Canada, comes down to visit his buddy Rogen. The pair’s chemistry is, as you would expect, natural; as are the relationships of all the core cast. It makes it easier for the audience to relate to the film when the actors are clearly at ease with one-another and obviously had a blast filming it.

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by Luke Miksa on July 18, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Film Reviews

Tagged Comedy, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Emma Watson, Evan Goldberg, Film Reviews, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Pineapple Express, Seth Rogen, This is the End

Posted by Luke Miksa on July 18, 2013

https://sorryimlate.com/2013/07/18/review-this-is-the-end-2013-apocalypse-is-the-perfect-occasion-for-improv-comedy/

Review: Pacific Rim (2013) — A Big-Budget Movie Worth Getting Excited Over

Pacific Rim

This is a world where humanity is deep in a years long war with giant monsters, known as Kaiju; creatures that have emerged from deep beneath the ocean and have begun attacking major cities. These Kaiju have necessitated the design of unique weapons: enormous robots known as Jaegers, simultaneously controlled by two pilots, psychically linked to each other as well as the gigantic mechs, an act known as ‘drifting’. With mankind’s resources tapped, and the annihilation of the human race imminent, a washed-up Jeager pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested rookie (Rinko Kikuchi) find themselves in a desperate last stand against the Kaiju, with the ultimate fate of the world at stake.

More believable than the Australian accents.

The first thing I can say about Pacific Rim is that it is a breath of fresh air among a sea of clunky, cynical, and dark blockbusters. In the world of irony-laced, mega-budget films, this is a film which relishes in its humanity and humility; it has a general sense of altruism which makes seeing big movies like these such an exciting experience. Director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Cronos) has created pure spectacle, free of self-reference and cheeky nods.

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