Film Review: Gravity

I have to say, before I start this review, Gravity directed by Alfonso Cuarón is the best, the most immersive, most thrilling, most hold your breath until you can’t any longer, most sit forward on the edge of you seat film, I have ever seen.
As you can probably tell, I loved this film.
Gravity is directed by Alfonso Cuaron and written by him and his son Jonas Cuarón, has incredible graphics and effects done by Framestore, empathetic, extraordinary sound and a heart breaking, moving story which will keep you focused on the screen for every millisecond of the duration of Gravity. Not even your husband or wife interrupting the film and asking you: “Do you want a cup of tea darling?” Will distract you from the film, not even if you’re addicted to tea!
You won’t even stop watching when your microwave explodes in the kitchen because your wife, or husband decided to make you boiled egg in the microwave. On second thoughts, if they are injured and you are a respectable enough person you won’t stop watching the film.
On third thoughts, if you love them enough you might stop to call an ambulance, call your sister or your neighbour and ask them to come round, then zone out and continue the film. You can worry about the mess after the film when you decide to watch it again, then see how your husband or wife is and then call your cleaner to come and clear the mess up. Then realise you should visit your partner and apologise (pretend to be extremely sorry, but you’re not really) and then think about the film for a bit longer.
So enough with that truth! (The phrase is, enough with that rubbish) I’ll tell you a little bit about the beginning of the film.
I went to see the film in the Odeon West End in screen 2 in 3D. One last thing before I inform you a little about the film. Boy!!!!! the 3D effects are incredible and articulate and so well done!

The film starts off with 3 astronauts, one called Matt Kowalski, a doctor who has had 6 months training named Dr. Ryan Stone and a third man. They are all outside their space shuttle which is all unfolded out as they are fixing parts. Kowalski has a jet pack and is messing around whilst the other two are fixing stuff, inside there is more crew.
They then receive a message from ground control to inform them that there is lots and lots of debris orbiting the earth extremely quickly. Matt orders them all to get inside. This is serious business. Ryan is finishing what she is doing when the debris starts approaching extremely quickly. They try and pack up and get back inside the shuttle but Ryan can’t get her feet unstrapped and the crane she is attached to gets hit by debris and is spun away into space far from the shuttle. Stone manages to detach herself but is still spinning away from the shuttle as she has no means to stop her.

She gets very panicky and starts breathing rapidly and heavily…….

Gravity is currently my favourite film. I could watch it over and over. I was immersed in the film, the whole way through and not one thought related to anything apart from Gravity slipped into my mind during the film.
I urge anyone here to go and see it at the cinema in 3D whilst it is still there.

Not only is Gravity all of the above but it has some great acting in it too. There are only two actors who are featured physically in the film. The other five are voice-overs. George Clooney plays Matt Kowalski and Sandra Bullok plays Ryan Stone. Because the film is in space the techniques used to get all the lighting correct and all the motions were very complex. At lots of times, the two actors were placed in a small box with thousands of LED lights and suspended by a crane. Lots of the time they could be in there by themselves for hours as it took ages to get in and out.

This film is amazing.

I rate this film 5/5 stars.

Click here to go to the IMDb page for Gravity

Book Review: The Weight of Water

The Weight of Water is one of the most unusual books I’ve ever read as it is written in poem form. Some of the stanzas are as short as two words. Although it is written in poem form it is written as a regular novel is in sentences.

In The Weight of Water Kasienka and her mother leave their home in Poland and travel to London where they settle in a one room, one bed flat. Kasienka starts school and is put in year 7 with 11 year olds even when she is almost 13. She is very clever and her one fault is her reading in English.

They are in England for one reason: mama is searching for Tata. Every night mama drags Kasienka across the streets knocking on every door looking for Tata.

Meanwhile the boy who used to stare at Kasienka at the swimming pool is now Kasienka’s boyfriend.

Life is tough for Kasienka but her strong and poignant character gets her through.

The Weight of Water is a quick and easy read with some difficult ideas in and is really emotional and moving. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read but with an interesting background.

Here is a link to the author Sarah Crossan’s website

The Intruder

Rough, black gloves,
A dark and grey hat,
Slipping quietly down the road,
As quiet as a cat,
I am the intruder.

Slick back trousers,
Smooth as silk,
The dullest of coverings,
Eyes as pale as milk,
I am the intruder.

Sliding the door back,
Quiet like a mouse,
Creeping across the floor,
I slip into her house,
I am the intruder.

I know how to move quietly,
To creep across creaky wooden floors,
I know something about,
Opening windows and doors,
I am the intruder.

Shut the door,
No sound to be heard,
Slip past the kitchen,
This is the third,
I am the intruder.

Open the drawer,
The rattling inside,
Is only some plastic,
Side by side,
I am the intruder.

Slipping the clippers,
Through the telephone wires,
The sense of isolation,
Inspires me,
I am the intruder.

I like to feel the suspense,
When I’m certain you know I am there,
I like you lying awake,
Your baited breath charging the air,
I am the intruder.

Slipping the clippers,
Through the telephone wires,
The sense of isolation,
Inspires me,
I am the intruder.

Looking for the valuables,
Slipping up the stairs,
Passing some portraits,
Some of her heirs,
I am the intruder.

Passing her bedroom,
A man in her room,
Peering through the door,
Knocking a broom!
I am the intruder.

Holding my guard,
Muffling their cries,
Knocking them out,
Is all I can prise,
I am the intruder.

I have little time,
Looking for goods,
Speeding around,
Like the men in hoods,
I am the intruder.

Finding her bracelet,
The gold so soft,
Creeping up the stairs,
Into her loft,
I am the intruder.

One more possession,
Is all I need,
Something precious,
Overcome by greed,
I am the intruder.

Finding her wallet,
Or a silver chain,
Is what I want,
Before I catch the train,
I am the intruder.

Yes I’ve found one,
Ninety-nine beads,
All made out of silver,
Manufactured in Leeds,
I am the intruder.

This is worth thousands,
Was worth the chance,
Only if I get out,
I need to advance,
I am the intruder.

Slipping the clippers,
Through the telephone wires,
The sense of isolation,
Inspires me,
I am the intruder.

This and the bracelet,
A month’s worth supplies,
I have to get out,
Or else caught by the guys,
I am the intruder.

Slipping down the stairs,
Placing her back in bed,
Him beside her,
Along with Mr Ted,
I am the intruder.

Leaving no mark,
I slip out the door,
Passing one kitchen,
On the ground floor,
I am the intruder.

Finding the front door,
Finally I leave,
Successions in hand,
Almost knocking Steve,
I am the intruder.

Rushing to the hiding,
Still some suspense,
Breathing softly,
I climb over the fence,
I am the intruder.

Now I am finished,
Today’s work is done,
Back to my backyard,
When I hear an air gun,
I am the intruder.

The fear overcomes me,
Could they have known,
That mister intruder,
Stole from their own,
I am the intruder.

I hide in a bush,
Until they are gone,
This was a close one,
My name is Sir John,
I am the intruder.

Turning in for the night,
Safety at last,
Wait until morning,
To break my fast,
I am the intruder.

Inspired by Peter Gabriel’s song, Intruder

Photo credit: funadium via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: Alkhymeia via Compfight cc

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Current film trends

Currently there is a big trend on futuristic films where earth has failed and humanity crashed into itself. The films that fit this trend that were released fairly recently include: Oblivion, Elysium, Pacific Rim and After Earth.

In Oblivion, Earth

has been taken over and the remaining humans are preparing to move to Saturn’s moon, Titan.

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In Pacific Rim huge aliens from deep in the pacific attack humans, they take days to take down and thousands of lives and resources are lost. The world countries decide to team together and create massive monsters to fight monsters…..

Continue reading in my review on Pacific Rim

In After Earth, Cypher and his son Kitai get stranded on earth one thousand years after the earth’s population had to move out because of changes that were inhabitable.

In Elysium it is the year 2154 and there are two classes of people,
1: The very wealthy who live on the pristine man made space station, Elysium.
2: The other people who live on overpopulated, ruined earth.
A government official will stop at anything to keep the people on earth, on earth, and have the people on Elysium continue their luxurious life.

Of course the citizens of earth won’t stop trying to get there.
Max is backed into a corner and agrees to a mission. If the mission is a success it will not only save his life but might bring the people’s to equality.
All these films fit into this trend and I suspect more to be released in the coming months.

Click here for Elysium on the IMDb website

Click here for After Earth on the IMDb website

Click here for Oblivion on the IMDb website

Click here for Pacific Rim on the IMDb Website

Film Review: About Time

About Time featuring Domhnall Gleeson (as Tim), Rachel McAdams (as Mary) and Bill Nighy (as Tim’s Dad) is a comedy/Sci-Fi film about Tim. One year on the day after the dreaded new years eve party, Tim’s father decides to tell Tim about the special power that all the men in their family have. The power means that they can travel back in time at any part they have lived and be there again. Tim decides to use this power and make the world a better place by getting a…Girlfriend. This proves not to be as easy as he thinks.

About Time has some great laughs and moving scenes. And I think is a well put together movie. It is said to be Richard Curtis’s last film. I can tell you he finished on a high. About time includes some sweet morals and is funny to say the least.

To be honest, I don’t really know what else to say about About time apart from that it’s a funny, sweet love story with a few twists and moving scenes. Well actually coming to think about it, About time does have some jaw dropping moments that almost made me cry.

Overall it is a good film and worth watching on a rainy day, or even a summers night.

I rate this film 3.5/5 stars.

Click here for a link to About Time on IMDb.com

At Thorpe Park: Colossus

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Thorpe Park’s first big thrill ride, Colossus built in 2002 is a 10 time inverting roller coaster.
I have been on the ride 3 times, once in 2010, once 2011 and once this year.

The ride queue is situated right under the ride and gives you something to watch as you queue. Unfortunately due to its popularity, the ride queue time can rise up to 3 hours. The downside of the queue being situated under the ride is that because of the age of the ride, it is quite a loud rattle and bang every time the coaster goes over your head. Although it certainly makes you eager to go on the ride. The throughput of the ride is 1050 people per hour and this just shows you that if you were queueing for 2 hours, that means that 2100 people had queued before you.

The ride starts of with a 45 degrees climb on a chain lift hill, taking you 30 meters up. The coaster rattles over the top and bends round a corner before dropping and speeding through a loop the loop, and then another one! Wow.
The ride reaches a top speed of 45 mph and has a max g-force of 4.2
Some other features of the ride includes, 5 heart line rolls (Click here for an explanation), 2 corkscrews, a cobra roll and a vertical loop.

As the ride was built in 2002, it is fairly old now, due to this it is a very rough ride and it involves quite a bit of head banging. It is a good idea to keep your head forward during the ride, this reduces head banging.

Colossus had a fabulous trick at the end that if you’re a first time rider it will take you by complete surprise. Just as you think the ride is over, the coaster does an anti-clockwise in line twist, this is my favourite part of the coaster!

Overall this is a worth while coaster, but because of its age and rough ride it is not as brilliant as it used to be. My suggestion is that if you are at Thorpe Park, go on the other four main coasters first THE SWARM, SAW, Nemesis Inferno and Stealth and then go on Colossus.

Here is a link to a video of Colossus

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