I rushed to the theatre to see the movie Gravity for two reasons:
- the terrifying space collision that we get a tantalizing glimpse of in the movie trailer; and
- Sandra Bullock’s performance, which has received rave reviews and early Oscar buzz.
The views of space are breathtaking, and the accident that drives the plot drains whatever air remains in your lungs. I saw the movie in 3D, and its use is at once seamless and highly effective.
George Clooney is his usual playful self in his scenes with Bullock, but I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say she appears alone onscreen for a majority of the movie.
Tom Hanks goes solo on an island in Castaway, and Robert Redford on a crippled yacht in the upcoming All is Lost, so it’s about time an actress — especially one of Bullock’s caliber — gives it a try.
But while Bullock’s Dr. Stone is well-acted — and I was on the edge of my seat time and time again — I left the movie feeling very little emotional connection to her character. I just expected…more.
Let me know what you think.
The Sticky Egg 
A true story
The movie Foxcatcher, starring Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, is based on a true story. That’s about all I knew — well, that and Carrell wears a prosthetic nose.
And we all know a fake schnoz can land you an Oscar. Just ask Nicole Kidman.
After seeing the film, I’m glad I was so uninformed. This telling of Olympic wrestler Mike Schultz’s relationship with his sponsor, millionaire John du Pont, is so slow and deliberate that I might have lost patience if I had known how it was going to end.
But the performances — not the plot — are the reason to see this film. All three actors disappear into these characters who, with the exception of Ruffalo, struggle with varying shades of mental illness and mommy issues.
And when actors who usually take pratfalls raise their game to this level, you simply have to see it.
Fair warning — you may never look at Michael Scott the same way again.
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Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Sports
Tagged actors, celebrities, Channing Tatum, characters, commentary, entertainment, fake nose, film, Foxcatcher, Humor, Mark Ruffalo, mental illness, Michael Scott, mommy issues, Movies, Nicole Kidman, nose, Oscar, pacing, performances, pratfalls, prosthetic, raise their game, review, schnoz, Sports, Steve Carrell, The Office, true story, wrestling