Gravity Review

'Gravity' is a masterpiece. An awe-inspiring mix of action, horror and humanity. It has been seven years since Alfonso Cuarón gave us 'Children of Men' but it was worth the wait. There's never been any movie quite like 'Gravity'. The imagery presented in this film is simply mind-boggling. It's an amazing accomplishment.

However all that craftmanship would've been for naught, had the story not worked on a basic human level. Astronauts Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Kowalski (George Clooney) are on a shuttle mission. They are on a routine spacewalk when things go terribly wrong. In a matter of seconds their shuttle is destroyed and they find themselves adrift in space. 

From then on it's a story of survival. Through the magice of storytelling, we experience Stone's ordeal as if we're there with her. The film works like clockwork. The timing of action and emotional beats is impeccable. It's been a long time since I've seen such economical storytelling in a big budget feature. It's a refreshing surprise.

It's apparent that Alfonso Cuarón strived to make 'Gravity' as realistic as possible. In the opening sequence, people and objects are seen gliding effortlessly through the zero-g environment. Earth fills up the screen behind them. It's a beautiful moment. This tranquility lasts until the debris field moves into view. The effects of the debris hitting the spacestation are frighteningly violent. 

Cuarón overcomes the scientific impossibility of sound in space by employing Steven Price's effective musical score. It's a compelling soundtrack that combines beauty and dissonance. That is true for the movie as a whole. 'Gravity' shows the us the wonder and the insurmountable risks that come with space exploration. 

Still, it's the intimacy of the story that makes it so tangible. 'Gravity' is a small movie, set against a vast backdrop. We experience Stone's fight for survival as if it were our very own. The film owes its emotional power to Bullock's honest performance. The transformation she goes through is wonderful in its simplicity and the actress pulls it off brilliantly. 

'Gravity' is a work of pure artistic craftmanship. Seldom have I seen a film that hits home like this one does. Alfonso Cuarón and his cast and crew have created a film that is as close to perfection as you can get. This is filmmaking at its finest. That's why 'Gravity' is the most viscerally engaging film I've seen in a long time. It really is a masterpiece.  

Iron Sky Review

No, this isn't some weird conspiracy theory, rather it's the premise of the movie 'Iron Sky'. The project originated from Finland where a group of amateur filmmakers set out to use the internet to get their movie financed. On their website Wreck a Movie the producers established an online community of film fans. People connected to this community could donate money or otherwise aid the filmmakers.

The film's concept is ludicrous. In the last days of the Second World War the Germans execute a secret mission. Their plan is to use their anti-gravity technology to colonize the moon. Amazingly, they succeed and while old Adolf is blowing his brains out in Berlin, his sympathizers are bouncing around the moon. In 'Iron Sky' we see what happens when the vengeful Space Nazis return.

I've been following this production ever since I saw this enticing teaser back in 2008. Due to the nature of the project it took a long time to get started. But judging from the film this way of filmmaking works quite well for director Timo Vuorensola. Fortunately, the film doesn't take itself too seriously. After all, 'Iron Sky' is about goddamn Space Nazis!

The film opens in 2018 with a moon landing, executed primarily to boost the current US president's approval ratings. Quickly, the two astronauts encounter a group of Nazi... Nazmonauts? Anyway, after dispatching one of the newcomers the Nazis arrest the survivor. They are surprised, and more than a little offended, to find a black man inside the suit with a computer the size of a moon rock.

The phone holds enough computing power to activate the Space Nazi's ultimate wunderwaffe. However, when the phone's battery goes dead so do their plans of invading Earth. Now the search is on for more cell phones.

In tone 'Iron Sky' seems like a cross between 'Mars Attacks!' and 'Starship Troopers'. Much like those two films the satire feels forced, but there a few moments of genuine comedy. In one scene there's a wink to 'Dr. Strangelove', which undoubtedly served as a major inspiration for Vuorensola. Unfortunately, the movie suffers from its amateur origins.

First off, the pacing is all over the place. More than once the film grinds to halt in order to deliver an elaborate and goofy gag. One of the them is a parody to 'Der Untergang'. This scene in particular is characteristic for 'Iron Sky'; it is a film which wears its nerdy fetishes on its sleeve.

Vuorensola's attempts at satire feel strangely dated, quite possibly due to the long time it took the produce the film. For instance, The US president and her slogan ''Yes she can!'' riff off of Sarah Palin and the 2008 election. With the next elections coming up in less than a year these references lose much of their power.

After four years of waiting you can't help but feel a bit disapointed. 'Iron Sky' has become nothing more than a curiosity. A film which you might watch once or twice just for the silly concept. However, as a piece of independent satire it falls flat.

There's no trace of the strange melancholy from the original teaser. The whole film is a just too goofy. One of the primary reasons why good satire works is because the people inside the movie don't know they're being satirized.