I have a map in my bedroom that takes up most of my wall. It has a bunch of flags and pins reminding me of where I've been and where I someday hope to go. Ever since I put it up years ago, I've had a picture of the moon just above it with one yellow pin. I never thought I'd ever really be able to make it there, but it was fun to dream. After last night I don't know how much fun that dream really is anymore. Why you might ask? Last night was the night all of my dreams of ever going to space to see the world, and I mean really SEE the world, all washed away like a footprint on the beach. Last night I saw Gravity.
Okay, even though it was terrifying, what an excellent movie! It's not too long at all, but you definitely don't feel like you still need the satisfaction of a good ending. Plus, the music and sound is outstanding, which really makes a movie for me. It was especially awesome because the people in charge of sound really played with the oxygen and lack there of in a space setting. The sound was totally different outside a helmet versus inside or inside a shuttle. Totally great. The story was pretty awesome too, but definitely hard to watch in some parts. So awful sometimes. I didn't even realize how tense I was until I looked down and saw that I had marks on my palms from where my nails dug into my skin. Pretty freakin' intense. And the 3D really just added to that. I was physically ducking to avoid pieces of shrapnel flying in my direction.
Now I'm going to warn you that there is a spoiler in the next paragraph of this post. I really can't help it and I really don't want to anyways. So skip a paragraph and continue, or if you're too lazy and just wanna stop reading I get that too. Okay, here I go.
Spoiler paragraph: This excellent and scary portrayal of space has basically one and a half characters that you immediately connect with without even realizing it. You are totally invested in their journey right away. Sure during the movie I was scared for them, and I felt bad, but lately I've been doing this thing where I don't cry or anything during a show, book, or a movie. But hours, or even days later, I find myself lying in bed crying my eyes out for a character that had something super unfair happen to them. My mom has always told me that life isn't fair, but it doesn't make it easier to watch it happen. It doesn't necessarily mean that the person died unreasonably, but something had to happen to them that just shouldn't have. Sometimes something classically sad just happened to them, or something that just made their life that much harder. But it gets me every time, just not right away. Last night I found myself doing this for Mr. Clooney. I woke up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face for a fictional character that witnessed a certain kind of hell and then floated into the stars because it was his only choice. He chose to do it. He had to! How unfair for him! I couldn't stop crying. Even writing this now I'm getting a little emotional.
So basically how do you know when a movie is just amazing? I don't know if this is the same for everyone else, but for me it's when you think about it after and you can still hear the whirring in your mind as it works to figure out what it just saw and what it all means. When you cry for a character because you feel just that close to them and you're not ready to see them go. When the music adds to it instead of plays in the background because someone thought it was too quiet without it. And when the story is so good that it makes you change your mind about something you didn't even think was important enough to be changed. So for me, Gravity: good movie.
If you've seen it tell me what you thought. If not, go see and tell me. I'd love to know what you have to say about it and if you felt the same way as me.
P.S. I guess this was a movie review. I didn't really mean to but it was on my mind. If you like this style of writing let me know and I'll do some more of these.
Okay, even though it was terrifying, what an excellent movie! It's not too long at all, but you definitely don't feel like you still need the satisfaction of a good ending. Plus, the music and sound is outstanding, which really makes a movie for me. It was especially awesome because the people in charge of sound really played with the oxygen and lack there of in a space setting. The sound was totally different outside a helmet versus inside or inside a shuttle. Totally great. The story was pretty awesome too, but definitely hard to watch in some parts. So awful sometimes. I didn't even realize how tense I was until I looked down and saw that I had marks on my palms from where my nails dug into my skin. Pretty freakin' intense. And the 3D really just added to that. I was physically ducking to avoid pieces of shrapnel flying in my direction.
Now I'm going to warn you that there is a spoiler in the next paragraph of this post. I really can't help it and I really don't want to anyways. So skip a paragraph and continue, or if you're too lazy and just wanna stop reading I get that too. Okay, here I go.
Spoiler paragraph: This excellent and scary portrayal of space has basically one and a half characters that you immediately connect with without even realizing it. You are totally invested in their journey right away. Sure during the movie I was scared for them, and I felt bad, but lately I've been doing this thing where I don't cry or anything during a show, book, or a movie. But hours, or even days later, I find myself lying in bed crying my eyes out for a character that had something super unfair happen to them. My mom has always told me that life isn't fair, but it doesn't make it easier to watch it happen. It doesn't necessarily mean that the person died unreasonably, but something had to happen to them that just shouldn't have. Sometimes something classically sad just happened to them, or something that just made their life that much harder. But it gets me every time, just not right away. Last night I found myself doing this for Mr. Clooney. I woke up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face for a fictional character that witnessed a certain kind of hell and then floated into the stars because it was his only choice. He chose to do it. He had to! How unfair for him! I couldn't stop crying. Even writing this now I'm getting a little emotional.
So basically how do you know when a movie is just amazing? I don't know if this is the same for everyone else, but for me it's when you think about it after and you can still hear the whirring in your mind as it works to figure out what it just saw and what it all means. When you cry for a character because you feel just that close to them and you're not ready to see them go. When the music adds to it instead of plays in the background because someone thought it was too quiet without it. And when the story is so good that it makes you change your mind about something you didn't even think was important enough to be changed. So for me, Gravity: good movie.
If you've seen it tell me what you thought. If not, go see and tell me. I'd love to know what you have to say about it and if you felt the same way as me.
P.S. I guess this was a movie review. I didn't really mean to but it was on my mind. If you like this style of writing let me know and I'll do some more of these.
Excellent blog post!
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you so much!
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