Gravity.

Review #1565: Gravity.

Cast:

Sandra Bullock (Dr. Ryan Stone), George Clooney (Lieutenant Matt Kowalski), with Ed Harris (Mission Control), Orto Ignatiussen (Aningaaq), and Phaldut Sharma (Shariff Dasari) Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (#119 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Review:

"Every day, we thought: 'This is not going to work. It was a process of trial and error, and little, little hints of hope, and also a lot of mistakes. The only test screening that we had, months before the film was finished, was a disaster."

If you find yourself nearly reaching the age of 60, you can always look back upon the company you kept in the years that helped shape your path and hopefully enjoy the places it goes to in terms of dutiful interest. Alfonso Cuaron was born in Mexico City in 1961 to a family of dedicated individuals that included a doctor and biochemist for parents. He studied philosophy and filmmaking at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and (Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos, respectively. He started work behind the camera with short films alongside work in television by the time he was in his 20s that eventually led to getting a chance to direct his own feature. Sólo con tu pareja (1991) proved a worthy hit, which he directed/co-wrote/produced/co-edited, and it was followed by his first American production with A Little Princess (1995 - the first of three straight productions with him solely as director) and further films that received attention such as Y tu mamá también (2001) and Children of Men (2006). For this film, he served as co-producer, co-writer (with his son Jonás) and co-editor (with Mark Sanger).

It is a film that proved a worthy challenge to develop to the vision that Cuarón wanted to show taking years to develop into a project to greenlight because of the challenge to make a film that would have 80% of its 90 minute run-time be CG (with the exception of the face of the actor) - we are talking about doing lengthy zero-g environment scenes with carefully planned out shots and years of research. He was inspired by the films he watched as a child that interacted with his love of space such as A Trip to the Moon (1902), Marooned (1969), and Woman in the Moon (1929), although he did not plan originally to do a film in space, having started with a theme of adversity that he talked with his son about survival scenarios before getting to an idea of an astronaut spinning into space away from human contact as seeming like the perfect metaphor. The real challenge is probably having to act in a film with set positions and timing that came after all the animation required beforehand. Bullock and Clooney are the two actors who had to deal with this type of positioning because they are the only physical faces we seen on screen at all, with sprinkling of voices of others from time to time. The intrigue of seeing the film rides high on that opening and its lengthy opening shot that is quite exquisite. I found it to be quite a thrill ride, one that finds its voice of adversity and rebirth with well-done execution in pacing and tone that makes us feel like we are part of the experience of space and all that come from it (I can only imagine how it must have felt in 3D, which is likely a statement that could be applied to quite a few features in this decade - for better or worse). There is a profound enjoyment I have for something like this, one that moves and shakes from moment to moment that goes right in hand with survival films from the past with bated breath over what might happen next. Bullock does just fine with that in mind, one who reacts with useful timing for a role needing a vocal winner that can seem the part without just being a green screen puppet - basically, she is the one needed for space drama. Clooney is the other to bounce off of for certain moments, which he does alright by. There are a few quibbles that could be had with some of what occurs in the story, such as the use of the Space Shuttle for a mission past its actual shutdown in 2011 - but we are talking a movie here that involves a thrill ride for enjoyment, and pretending that the shuttle is still being used to help with space travel is perfectly fine by me, because if you can at least come close to seeming as majestic about space as Apollo 13 (1995) did while including tension-pounding moments for entertainment, you can't go wrong with this kind of sci-fi drama. It isn't a perfect film by any means, but it is a fascinating film for its adventure of adversity that can be a thrill ride for those who seek where it ultimately goes in exploration beyond just the stars.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Demolition Man.

Review #1504: Demolition Man.

Cast: 
Sylvester Stallone (Sergeant John Spartan), Wesley Snipes (Simon Phoenix), Sandra Bullock (Lieutenant Lenina Huxley), Nigel Hawthorne (Doctor Raymond Cocteau), Benjamin Bratt (Officer Alfredo Garcia), Denis Leary (Edgar Friendly), Bill Cobbs (Zachary Lamb), Bob Gunton (Chief George Earle), and Glenn Shadix (Associate Bob) Directed by Marco Brambilla.

Review: 
"I'm not handsome in the classical sense. The eyes droop, the mouth is crooked, the teeth aren't straight, the voice sounds like a Mafioso pallbearer, but somehow it all works."

There is a strange undeniable appeal to the films of Sylvester Stallone, one must admit. No matter how good or bad the material is (star or director/writer), there is a certain appeal to how he handles himself that has made him an interesting presence in film for over four decades, with Rocky (1976) and First Blood (1982) proving to be highlights that hold iconic status that stand well for themselves despite varying quality of further sequels. To accompany him as the second lead is Wesley Snipes, who had first expressed an interest in theatre and dance before being discovered for acting, which led to his debut in Wildcats (1986) and an eventual breakthrough in Major League (1989). The genesis of the film came from first-time writer Peter M. Lenkov, who took inspiration from the Lethal Weapon films along with an interest in cryogenics to make a spec script that was originally just a straight action film pitch. Several other writers would come in to do re-writes (with three credited in Lenkov, Robert Reneau, and Daniel Waters, as the former two did the story and the screenplay alongside Waters), while others such as Fred Dekker did un-credited re-writes (such as suggesting the opening scene in the past); Waters (writer of the considerably inferior satire Heathers) worked a span of roughly over two weeks to shift it from straight-action to one with attempt at humor, and Brambilla joined in helping with the script after being brought in as director, which would be his first directorial effort in film after a career spent doing television commercials (although this is his only major production, he is generally known for his video art installations).

It figures that a film involving peace without expression could prove so amusing. We aren't exactly living in a society like the one presented in the film, but there sure are a few itching similarities, particularly when it comes to the way we treat expression and government overreach (thankfully we have not done something as drastic and possibly ill-advised as trying to defund the police-I mean reduce them to not deal with violent crime), although at least spicy foods being banned is something I can live with. How could I resist such a strange little action film like this? It might prove as one of the best dumbest films one could ever watch, making a spectacle of itself within the confines of interesting action films from the era that work far better than it should because of its cast and execution. Stallone seems quite at home within the confines of a macho fish-out-of-water hero that rises above what might have been a leaded block of wood with a lesser actor (after all, Steven Seagal was originally thought of for the role) with a decent sense of timing and energy that one could expect from him. Snipes proves just as worthy as the other side of the coin, confident in madcap anarchy that is given time to let himself out of control with zippy lines. Bullock proves worthy in a early prominent role that lends a bit of cheeriness as the nostalgia-struck counterpart to Stallone that lends a hand for a few amusing moments. Hawthorne is adequate as the carefully-controlled peace man for the film while Leary proves exactly what one could expect of a cynic with the world on his mind. It has a decent pace of 115 minute that balances a wry sense of the future with some fun action moments that never seems dated or out-of-step with delivering entertainment worthy of curiosity as a feature of the time for another time.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Speed (1994).

Review #1115: Speed.

Cast: 
Keanu Reeves (Officer Jack Traven), Dennis Hopper (Howard Payne), Sandra Bullock (Annie Porter), Joe Morton (Lt. "Mac" McMahon), Jeff Daniels (Officer Harry Temple), Alan Ruck (Doug Stephens), Carlos Carrasco (Ortiz), Glenn Plummer (Jaguar owner), and Richard Lineback (Sgt. Norwood) Directed by Jan de Bont (#812 - Twister)

Review: 
At long last, Speed. I never intended for the Upcoming Features to have the film listed for so long (roughly a year or so), but it took a while to find time to do this one. Hope you enjoy.

Speed is an accomplishment in its execution of action and energetic nature that has numerous assets to achieving its goal as a popcorn thriller. This was the directorial debut of de Bont, a Dutch cinematographer who was responsible for numerous films such as Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Basic Instinct (1992). Graham Yost, who had written for television shows such as Hey Dude prior to this movie, was inspired by his father Elwy telling him about Runaway Train (1985), which was about a train speeding out a control that had been based on an idea by Akira Kurosawa. Yost's original script was set entirely on the bus, with the sequence involving the bus looping around being at the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium instead of an aiport. Josh Whedon was brought in to do (un-credited) work prior to main production beginning, with Yost stating that most of the dialogue was written by Whedon, adding "We were very much in sync, it's just that I didn't write the dialogue as well as he did." In any case, having the film not having all of its time on the bus, such as the elevator sequence or parts involving the police (such as Daniels) outside the bus do make the action come off well in not being overwhelming nor sluggish in its 116 minute run-time.

The main three of Reeves, Hopper, and Bullock all manage to stand out well, doing great in their own ways. Reeves proves to be a capable lead hero, having an edge of vulnerability alongside an air of resourceful nature that makes him interesting to watch, whether when jumping a bus or trying to adapt to the situation of the plot. Hopper makes for an entertaining villain, having the right sense of timing with his lines that carry weight with the motivations written without resorting to being generically evil or chewing too much of the scenery, having a sardonic charm to him. Bullock holds her own well, proving to be a capable one to pair off with the action and Reeves, for which they have a fair amount of chemistry with each other. The others also do fine in their time on screen, such as Daniels, Morton, or Ruck, who both pull off their respective mannerisms and motivations well. The bus members don't have too much particular time to really shine, but they are believable people who don't come off as too annoying or too painfully generic.

The movie is a thrill ride from start to finish, having a consistency to what it wants to execute on screen that rewards the eyes without assaulting it. It isn't the kind of movie that wants to challenge the viewer too heavily, but it sure will give them something to behold in terms of what could and what does happen without being insulting to their intelligence or pushing things too far, having its share of fun moments. Arguably the most notable moment of the film is the bus jump scene. California Interstates 105 and 110 were used for a majority of the freeway sequences in the film, and while de Bont was scouting the area he noticed that there were missing sections and was inspired to add the sequence. Not to spoil too much about the stunt itself (or the feasibility of doing said stunt), but the sequence as a whole is breathtaking to watch, having a certain excitement that never falls prey to feeling too unbelievable. On the whole, the film works on a level of consistency that can be appreciated and aspire to after over two decades. It is the kind of movie you can appreciate on a technical level, where it even received Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. There is enough suspense to make for an incredible time for viewers, especially ones with action in mind.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.