A Thrilling and Emotional Modern Classic

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney get their space repair on.

What’s the definition of perfect?  Is it simply an ideal to strive for or can it be achieved in tangible form?  And how do we set the benchmark?  Is it quantifiable with fact or is it more of a gut instinct?  For film, my theory is simple.  A perfect film is an experience that defies critique.  A movie you watch and find absolutely nothing wrong with.  Something with the ability to deliver on every piece of hype, expectation and emotional investment.  Alfonso Caron wowed us with Y Tu Mama Tambien, shocked us with Children of Men and has created a modern masterpiece with Gravity, a breakneck roller coaster of uncompromising beauty and vision.

Set in the inky blackness of space, Gravity is the story of a scientific Hubble mission gone wrong and the struggle for survival of two astronauts, newbie Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and grizzled NASA veteran, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney).  As the only two on screen actors, there’s a lot of heavy lifting for the pair, but they both handle the pressure nicely.  With simple side stories and straight forward characterization, both Ryan and Kowalski are easy to root for and allow the audience to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

What scenery, you may ask?  After all, it’s space.  We’ve all seen fields of stars and spaceships before.  Not so in Gravity.  The most powerful aspect of the film is the stunning cinematography.  Caron fans know the director’s affinity for long, uncut scenes and Gravity is the apex of this technique.  The opening shot lasts thirteen minutes and not only sets us perfectly in the floaty expanse, introduces us to the characters in their natural element.  The entire film is photographed with a lighter than air feel and with much of it shot in the first person, you’re always engaged in the action.

Gravity from the perspective of a Notebook Doodle.

Oh yeah.  There’s action.  Gravity strikes an even balance between airless serenity and pulse pounding excitement.  As I said in the introduction, this movie is a rollercoaster, one you’ll never want to get off of, no matter how tight you’re gripping the lap bar.  Gravity is a non-stop thrill ride that gets every moment right.  When things are rocking, the camera work is quick, reactive and engulfing.  But when things slow down, the frame opens up, allowing the audience to take in deep breaths of the film’s powerful beauty.  Some of the best scenes are the slow ones, including a sad radio conversation with a stranger and a still moment of newborn tranquility after a mind blowing series of near misses.

While the cinematography is outstanding, if Gravity doesn’t win for Best Special Effects, I’m going toss my Oscar party tray of charcuterie through an open window.  When a movie comes out on Blu Ray, I love checking out the behind the scenes features, even if it dulls the magic of subsequent viewings.  Gravity is so well made, so ingenious is its ability to immerse, I’ll never watch a single “Making Of”.  The movie’s ability to completely transport the audience to an entirely different, yet familiar universe is worth experiencing again and again.  The 3D effects are used sparingly but for great effect, enhancing the story as opposed to mindless distraction.

Initially, I posed a question about the nature of perfect and if it’s something attainable by actual people.  While I can’t spend this review postulating on the phenomenon, I can soundly state Gravity gets about as close to film nirvana as any movie I’ve seen in the last few years.  With strong performances, brilliant cinematography and the finest special effects this side of Jurassic Park, Caron’s masterpiece is a triumph of modern filmmaking.  Imagine a thrill ride that gets your heart pumping, lasts ninety minutes and takes you on an emotional journey in the process.  That’s Gravity in a nutshell / space capsule.  And yes, if I’m unable to make one snide critique on a single aspect of a movie, it means it’s perfect.  Or at the very least, perfect enough.

Score:  10 out of 10

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Levitt’s Inexperience Shows But The End Result Holds Up…No Pun Intended

Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives Scarlett Johansson his best “how you do’in.”

The transition from actor to director has always been a fascinating journey.  Sometimes they rise to the challenge like Affleck, Eastwood and Howard.  Other times it doesn’t work out quite so well.  Apologies to Eddie Murphy, Stallone and Robert DeNiro.  It’s just a different animal to go from being inside a single character to looking at the big picture of a full film production.  The newest member of the crew is Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 50/50) with his first feature length, Don Jon.  Despite some common first timer pitfalls, the movie succeeds in painting an entertaining picture of a Jersey bro-douche’s growth and self-awakening.

The hair jelled club goer in question is Jon, an early twenty-something who seems to have it all.  A pad he loves, close ties to his Italian family, his pick of the short skirted Snookies at his favorite night spot.  That and a pretty wicked porn addiction.  Throughout the film, Jon meets two women: his dream girl, Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) and a middle aged hippie chick named Esther (Julianne Moore).  Through these two very different ladies, Jon begins a journey of emotional connection and discovery.

Problem is, the above synopsis goes way deeper than the actual film does.  Levitt’s direction is quick and energetic but he never makes a strong attempt to connect Jon to the audience.  Jon, as a character, is pretty hard to stomach.  While he respects his family, goes to church and keeps a tidy place, he’s still has a caveman’s attitude to the opposite sex.  With no other driving motivation to keep us engaged, it’s hard to care what happens to him one way or the other.  Levitt is quite good in the role and his charisma keeps us in the seats, but it’s a shallow experience.

Tony Danza appears as Jon’s dad. Yep, it’s as strange and wonderful as you might expect.

Both female leads do a fine job in their respective parts.  Johansson sizzles as the object of Jon’s desire and Moore is fantastic as the lady he actually needs.  Moore in particular gives the film a much needed charge of depth and intrigue.  Sadly, her contributions only come after 45 minutes of clubbin’, screwin’ and hard R-rated quick cuts of porn actresses doing their thing.  While the setup proves important in the film’s final third, those who are squeamish concerning the subject matter may want to think twice before a viewing.

All that said, everything here is done with the best intentions.  The problems arise from first timer mistakes from Levitt the director.  Set aside the threadbare story, ignore the stereotypical Jersey Italian family run-time fluff, cast aside the thin story.  The main issue one of motivation.  Despite the script driven drama of his favorite alone time activity, there’s never any severe consequences for Jon’s addiction.  Plot moving events occur due to his issues but Jon shrugs through them and as a result, we’re never convinced he needs to give his wrist a rest.  I’ll say it again.  Jon is a very tough character to feel anything but “meh” for.

Despite all the issues, I still enjoyed this more than last week’s Prisoners (review pending publication). While Prisoners was a more accomplished film in execution, Don Jon wins out on the back of the sheer energy of its direction.  It’s nice to see a director “go for it” and Levitt does exactly that in his first feature attempt.  It has some rough points and if you’re older than 25, there’s nothing to learn but as a breezy, visual experience, Don Jon serves its purpose as pure entertainment.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt hasn’t completely avoided the failed side of the actor turned director list, but unless he directs Harlem Nights 2, it’s safe to say he has a promising career behind the camera.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker share a moment in Lee Daniel’s The Butler

Another Day, another review for the fine folks at Pantheon Mag!  Check it out!

An Uneven But Effective Reminder of America’s Racial History