Quote:
Originally Posted by Invid Ninja  I will admit to really enjoying Gravity especially on a visual level and as a refreshingly simple thriller. Saying that, it's very much a 'ride' film; I myself would not call it either a 'masterpiece' or shower it with the 5 star praise that others have. Although I think it's a better film from this year than the decent if for me puzzlingly over praised Captain Phillips. |
I really enjoyed both
Captain Phillips and
Gravity; both were breathtaking thrillers, but there was an honesty - albeit a carefully manufactured one - to
Captain Phillips that didn't quite ring true for me in
Gravity.
Granted,
Captain Phillips is based on a true story, and I would absolutely agree that
Gravity is a polished 'ride' whereas
Captain Phillips - partly due to Greengrass' one-foot-in-vérité aesthetic - is all gritty intensity, not least due to the terrifically naturalistic and intense performances from the Somali cast. And I would argue Tom Hanks displays the finest performance of his career - while Sandra Bullock is very good indeed, I found the emotional hook to
Gravity far more contrived.
The thing for me is that
Gravity clearly intends to use its pathos (and succeeds to a degree) early as the crux of the film whereas Greengrass cleverly holds it back, letting the experience creep up on you (and our protagonist) when you're finally able to catch a breath, resulting in some of the most emotionally draining last five minutes of cinema I've seen for ages.