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Cars are also scary.
Just ask Keith Gordon.
Or James Brolin.
I don’t wanna go to the Devil,
This is dF
Just ask Keith Gordon.
Or James Brolin.
I don’t wanna go to the Devil,
This is dF
Oct. 25th, 2013
I’ve been a little too busy to go to the movies. But not THAT busy.
Elysium
The new SF film from Neill Blomkamp, in which it’s 2154, the 1% live in an giant idyllic space station called Elysium and have advanced healthcare technology, and the rest of humanity scrapes by on Earth, which is polluted, overpopulated and one big diseased slum. Those who try to immigrate to Elysium via illegal shuttles are dealt with harshly.
That’s the backdrop for ex-car thief Matt Damon, who is irradiated in a factory accident and – with five days to live and nothing to lose – vows to get to Elysium for a cure. But he’s picked a bad time, because Elysium defense secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) has had it up to here with illegal immigrants and is resorting to lethal measures and a political coup to get her way.
It’s a good premise, but the execution isn’t that convincing. Delacourt is too one-dimensional (Foster’s efforts notwithstanding) and given the technology involved, Elysium’s defense systems aren't that well designed (to the point that even the actual coup plot makes no real sense). In fact, the film feels like a lot of ideas were thrown in without giving much thought as to how they would actually work. It’s an okay film that does have its moments, but a lost opportunity overall.
Gravity
Alfonso Cuaron’s latest film, in which astronauts George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are marooned in orbit after their shuttle is destroyed by flying space debris and their communication with Earth is knocked out.
It's a simple premise for a survival film, but the secret is in the execution – and boy does Cuaron execute. Like all of his best films, it’s visually amazing (to include his use of long seemingly continuous shots), and Cuaron also manages to dial up the tension and suspense as much as possible for most of the film’s taut 90 minutes – so much so that even Neil deGrasse Tyson loved it despite a few inevitable scientific inaccuracies.
And the story, basic as it is, is told well and manages to avoid the excessive cheese that comes with this kind of film. Kudos to Bullock for carrying the bulk of the film admirably. Also, if this film doesn’t win any awards for the sound design alone, there is no justice in the world. There's a good chance this will top my Best of 2013 list, is what I'm saying.
Free falling,
This is dF
Elysium
The new SF film from Neill Blomkamp, in which it’s 2154, the 1% live in an giant idyllic space station called Elysium and have advanced healthcare technology, and the rest of humanity scrapes by on Earth, which is polluted, overpopulated and one big diseased slum. Those who try to immigrate to Elysium via illegal shuttles are dealt with harshly.
That’s the backdrop for ex-car thief Matt Damon, who is irradiated in a factory accident and – with five days to live and nothing to lose – vows to get to Elysium for a cure. But he’s picked a bad time, because Elysium defense secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) has had it up to here with illegal immigrants and is resorting to lethal measures and a political coup to get her way.
It’s a good premise, but the execution isn’t that convincing. Delacourt is too one-dimensional (Foster’s efforts notwithstanding) and given the technology involved, Elysium’s defense systems aren't that well designed (to the point that even the actual coup plot makes no real sense). In fact, the film feels like a lot of ideas were thrown in without giving much thought as to how they would actually work. It’s an okay film that does have its moments, but a lost opportunity overall.
Gravity
Alfonso Cuaron’s latest film, in which astronauts George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are marooned in orbit after their shuttle is destroyed by flying space debris and their communication with Earth is knocked out.
It's a simple premise for a survival film, but the secret is in the execution – and boy does Cuaron execute. Like all of his best films, it’s visually amazing (to include his use of long seemingly continuous shots), and Cuaron also manages to dial up the tension and suspense as much as possible for most of the film’s taut 90 minutes – so much so that even Neil deGrasse Tyson loved it despite a few inevitable scientific inaccuracies.
And the story, basic as it is, is told well and manages to avoid the excessive cheese that comes with this kind of film. Kudos to Bullock for carrying the bulk of the film admirably. Also, if this film doesn’t win any awards for the sound design alone, there is no justice in the world. There's a good chance this will top my Best of 2013 list, is what I'm saying.
Free falling,
This is dF