Grace to Mia:
1. Why did you see this movie?
I saw this movie because I’m both a fan of Alfonso Cuarón and Sandra Bullock. Plus, the idea of outer space freaks me out and with one beer in for the night, I decided to go on a whim.
2. Had you seen this director before?
Yes! Love him. I’ve seen five of his films so far including Gravity. My first exposure to this filmmaker was with his 1995 remake of A Little Princess. It’s one of my favorite films.
3. Given the vague trailers, what did you expect from the movie?
My first thought that it would be something along the lines of Cast Away (Tom Hanks) but in space. I heard that George Clooney was barely in the film and that every other character aside from Bullock was just well crafted VO / Sound Design work, so going into the film, I knew we’d be dealing solely with Bullock on screen. Like I said, outer space randomly freaks me out, so I was also expecting to be anxious the entire time…which I was.
4. How realistic was this?
There are plenty of scientific-minded blog posts and articles out their debunking the many “facts” that were presented in Gravity, but as a non-scientific minded individual, Gravity was well-crafted enough for me to get lost in this “world.” I never once questioned it.
5. What do you think about the plot?
It was a classic film plot: man’s journey home. The writing and directing team threw in just enough roadblocks to challenge our leading lady that kept the audience interested and invested. Perhaps they could have been a little bit more creative with her back story because while it did its job as insight into Bullock’s character, I found it quite lacking. Otherwise, I found the writing to be solid.
Mia to Grace:
1. This marks Sandra Bullock’s second chance at Oscar Gold. Do you think her performance here in Gravity is better than her performance in The Blind Side?
This is a hard question to answer. The roles and characters she plays differ from each other in almost every way. I will say in The Blind Side, as Leigh Anne Tuohy, she was not in the least “Sandra Bullock-y”. At least in my opinion she became that character. Gravity is pretty much a one women show, which puts a lot of pressure on that single actress to be the movie. Space is also a pretty big and scary co-star but it is Ryan Stone who connects and emotionally propels the audience. Space is really just standing there being scary and big. I do feel she put more work into this role and I feel she did phenomenal, but the competition is very steep this year.
2. How does this Alfonso Cuarón film compare to the others you’ve seen?
I have to be honest, Alfonso Cuarón is not a name that I recognize. I literally just looked up what other movies he directed and went, “Oh!”. I liked his artsy version of Harry Potter but like many HP movies I was left wanting because so much was missing in comparison to the books. Children of Men was really dark and that 20 min scene was really cool. I adore A Little Princess. I remember dreaming and playing out that movie as a child. I believe I even saved up my pennies and nickels to buy the book with complimentary locket from Scholastic. He does gracefully dark well. I would say career-wise he has gotten progressively darker and more action packed, but all his movies are very different from one another. I don’t feel like you can compare them evenly. He is definitely a versatile director. Gravity surprised me immensely. I really could not think how this movie would last as long as it did. It had me on the edge of my seat repeatedly and repeatedly slammed me back into my seat in fear and trepidation for poor Ryan Stone. My heart was in my mouth and I have never sweated so much in my life. My mom and I saw it together and she expressed concern that maybe she was too old and delicate for this wild ride of a movie. Both of us enjoyed it and were very impressed.
3. Did you connect at all with any of the characters?
As always George Clooney is a charmer. I would like to see a movie where we all hated George Clooney’s character. I don’t think it is possible. I was definitely interested and rooting for Ryan Stone. I felt bad for all the characters that met untimely ends. There wasn’t really a “bad guy” in this movie. This movie was simply a bad situation in which an underdog is singled out and happens to have personal growth. It also had this theme of human endurance which I think anyone can relate to, the need as a human being to survive. That is a very attractive theme for people because it links us all together.
4. Given the location of the film (outer space), do you think the setting served its purpose?
Yes, to make it poignant, dark, and alone, where better than space!
5. Would you recommend Gravity to potential viewers? Why or why not?
I would definitely recommend it. It is a wild ride. I would especially recommend it to people who enjoy thrillers. 🙂
Cures for Curiosity 