samuellop10
Joined Mar 2009
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samuellop10's rating
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samuellop10's rating
This is way more enjoyable than it has any right to be. There is a fun, almost darkly comedic tone to it which borders on self-awareness, and combined with the excellent directing, performances, music, and cinematography it is very hard not to enjoy it even if the script is not so original. Moretz was fine. I thought she carried the story well enough, but Isabelle Huppert and Maika Monroe were absolutely phenomenal. The movie gets pretty bonkers, but it does so in the best possible way, being self-aware about it and using it to its advantage to make it darkly enjoyable.
There is a nice gut-punch about two-thirds of the way through, using a cliche and turning it on its head, which thankfully it's when the movie takes a dark turn and basically turns it into a horror film. It's definitely not for everyone but for those people who can enjoy those sorts of stylish and over-the-top suspense/thrillers, I'd highly recommend it.
There is a nice gut-punch about two-thirds of the way through, using a cliche and turning it on its head, which thankfully it's when the movie takes a dark turn and basically turns it into a horror film. It's definitely not for everyone but for those people who can enjoy those sorts of stylish and over-the-top suspense/thrillers, I'd highly recommend it.
21 year old Tim Russell is released from a mental institution.That same week his older sister is able to get a few days alone with the Lesser mirror. Kaylie, the sister, decides to take the mirror back to their old house, where unspeakable horrors unfolded during their childhood shortly after they moved to the back-then-new-house, and their father bought the infamous mirror. Kaylie is convinced the mirror is haunted: the mirror being some sort of evil supernatural being. Tim, on the other hand, has grown completely skeptic about the supernatural aspect of the mirror, believing his sister only holds on to that notion simply to have a way to cope with the horrific events of their childhood. Needless to say, the mirror does seem haunted, and as the night progresses for the adult siblings, the door to those memories open up, revealing more and more those events which both are trying to move on from; albeit in very different ways. These two timelines (their childhood and their present-day adult selves) unfold in a parallel manner, with the ending of the film culminating the two timelines' climaxes together.
One of the things the film gets right is the acting. Both Karen Gillian and Brenton Thwaites do a very decent job in portraying the adult version of the siblings. Their children counterparts also do an impressive work in portraying two small, terrified brother and sister with no one to turn to for help, slowly accepting the fact that they are both alone against the mirror.
The second good thing about it is the staging of the story. Although the concept is nothing new or original, the execution of such concept is both new and original. This injects a healthy dose of re-freshens and also a decent amount of unexpectedness to the film. Both helping in making this horror film one in which the audiences are actually engaged and interested in what will happen next, and at the same time they can have fun in the direction the story advances to.
A neutral element in it is the way they decided to unfold both story-lines (past and present). Like mentioned above, both of them move forward hand-in-hand, with various parallels presenting themselves in the way of flashbacks from both siblings. While this works wonderfully in the first half of the film, the second half of it loses a good chunk of the excitement which this sort of narrative added to the first half. That is not to say however, that it hurts it, but by the ending it just feels it needed to continue this way to explain what had happened, rather than using it to strengthen the present events.
More personally speaking, the ending felt rather frustrating and just almost unimaginative. While the final events fit into the pattern of what the mirror does, it feels like it should have had a more surprising ending due to the excellent build-up the film provides in the first two-thirds. The moment when the final twist happens, it is shocking, with everything falling into place seconds later, only to add more shock to what happens. However, moments later the feeling of shock is quickly replaced by one of been-there-done-that, leaving the audience feeling that there should have been more to it, rather than it being so simple and straight-forward.
If you are expecting an explanation for what the mirror really is, what entity it holds, or how it came to be, you will be disappointed. If you are rather more interested in the how (instead of the why's or what's of the mirror) you will feel more satisfied. The focus of the film is in tricking its characters, and along with them the audience as well. The story is very effective in messing with one's psyche, making one actually wonder what is actually happening to the characters, and what is fake and just a product of the mirror.
Overall, adjust your expectations into knowing that this film is good, but it does not redefine the genre in the slightest. It does feel refreshing, but other than in its execution, there is nothing new to see here. The movie is fun and unexpected (something very few recent horror movies can say), so with everything else, it is definitely an enjoyable ride as a whole.
One of the things the film gets right is the acting. Both Karen Gillian and Brenton Thwaites do a very decent job in portraying the adult version of the siblings. Their children counterparts also do an impressive work in portraying two small, terrified brother and sister with no one to turn to for help, slowly accepting the fact that they are both alone against the mirror.
The second good thing about it is the staging of the story. Although the concept is nothing new or original, the execution of such concept is both new and original. This injects a healthy dose of re-freshens and also a decent amount of unexpectedness to the film. Both helping in making this horror film one in which the audiences are actually engaged and interested in what will happen next, and at the same time they can have fun in the direction the story advances to.
A neutral element in it is the way they decided to unfold both story-lines (past and present). Like mentioned above, both of them move forward hand-in-hand, with various parallels presenting themselves in the way of flashbacks from both siblings. While this works wonderfully in the first half of the film, the second half of it loses a good chunk of the excitement which this sort of narrative added to the first half. That is not to say however, that it hurts it, but by the ending it just feels it needed to continue this way to explain what had happened, rather than using it to strengthen the present events.
More personally speaking, the ending felt rather frustrating and just almost unimaginative. While the final events fit into the pattern of what the mirror does, it feels like it should have had a more surprising ending due to the excellent build-up the film provides in the first two-thirds. The moment when the final twist happens, it is shocking, with everything falling into place seconds later, only to add more shock to what happens. However, moments later the feeling of shock is quickly replaced by one of been-there-done-that, leaving the audience feeling that there should have been more to it, rather than it being so simple and straight-forward.
If you are expecting an explanation for what the mirror really is, what entity it holds, or how it came to be, you will be disappointed. If you are rather more interested in the how (instead of the why's or what's of the mirror) you will feel more satisfied. The focus of the film is in tricking its characters, and along with them the audience as well. The story is very effective in messing with one's psyche, making one actually wonder what is actually happening to the characters, and what is fake and just a product of the mirror.
Overall, adjust your expectations into knowing that this film is good, but it does not redefine the genre in the slightest. It does feel refreshing, but other than in its execution, there is nothing new to see here. The movie is fun and unexpected (something very few recent horror movies can say), so with everything else, it is definitely an enjoyable ride as a whole.
Space has always been an interesting setting for films. It takes the characters into the unknown, promising to put them in immediate danger. Anything could go wrong, and most of their resources and equipment must stay untouched and in perfect working condition if they want to survive and touch Earth again. However, most of these films add to that danger by providing creatures, a mission which is extra dangerous, or making other humans within the setting a threat. Gravity is special. It does not use any of the previously three described cases, and instead puts the characters in mortal danger by a simple, yet very plausible scenario.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer who has been contracted by NASA to create and install a prototype machine and computer which will provide further data to their investigations. She is accompanied by astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and two other astronauts. Within the first few minutes we see them working on the satellite which will hold Dr. Ryan's machine and computer. 2 minutes later the team is informed that Russia has destroyed one of their satellites with a missile, possibly to avoid any of their information in the satellite from being leaked if the pieces of it land on Earth. Seconds later the debris of the destroyed satellite is flying by them, some of it hits their ship and satellite, and Dr. Ryan Stone is sent into the void when her tether breaks, with nothing but her space suit and working tools.
All this happens within the first 10 minutes. It sounds dangerous, but it is nothing like watching it on the big screen and hearing it (greatly aided by 3D). All hell breaks lose around them. Everything turns to chaos in a few seconds, and soon Dr. Ryan has lost contact with everyone and finds herself spinning and floating in endless space. A few minutes later of panicking and hyperventilating (from both the audience and Ryan) Matt makes contact with her. For the next hour or so we watch them in torturous suspense attempt to return to Earth safely.
After the first 7 minutes the whole movie is one edge-of-your-seat ride. In the whole movie there are only a couple of scenes which slow down, provided to let the audience breath for a few seconds before the characters are thrown in mortal and unforgiven danger once more. All this is aided by phenomenal special effects. We never doubt that Matt and Ryan are floating in zero gravity, or that a slight change in their momentum will either save them or kill them. The score does the same. It makes us feel more tense or sad, depending on the scene, and the sound is aggressive and precise. The 3D is greatly immersive. It only pulls you into space and makes everything look more real and dangerous.
Sandra Bullock's performance is great. We never see anyone other than isolated Dr. Ryan Stone in Sandra Bullock's body. It is amazing to understand that for close to 80% of the film she is in front of nothing but a green screen for the special effects, but it is never noticeable. She carries the bulk of the movie and she does so smoothly and naturally, as if she was actually there in space, trying to survive and get back to Earth alive.
All in all, a great space suspense/thriller.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer who has been contracted by NASA to create and install a prototype machine and computer which will provide further data to their investigations. She is accompanied by astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and two other astronauts. Within the first few minutes we see them working on the satellite which will hold Dr. Ryan's machine and computer. 2 minutes later the team is informed that Russia has destroyed one of their satellites with a missile, possibly to avoid any of their information in the satellite from being leaked if the pieces of it land on Earth. Seconds later the debris of the destroyed satellite is flying by them, some of it hits their ship and satellite, and Dr. Ryan Stone is sent into the void when her tether breaks, with nothing but her space suit and working tools.
All this happens within the first 10 minutes. It sounds dangerous, but it is nothing like watching it on the big screen and hearing it (greatly aided by 3D). All hell breaks lose around them. Everything turns to chaos in a few seconds, and soon Dr. Ryan has lost contact with everyone and finds herself spinning and floating in endless space. A few minutes later of panicking and hyperventilating (from both the audience and Ryan) Matt makes contact with her. For the next hour or so we watch them in torturous suspense attempt to return to Earth safely.
After the first 7 minutes the whole movie is one edge-of-your-seat ride. In the whole movie there are only a couple of scenes which slow down, provided to let the audience breath for a few seconds before the characters are thrown in mortal and unforgiven danger once more. All this is aided by phenomenal special effects. We never doubt that Matt and Ryan are floating in zero gravity, or that a slight change in their momentum will either save them or kill them. The score does the same. It makes us feel more tense or sad, depending on the scene, and the sound is aggressive and precise. The 3D is greatly immersive. It only pulls you into space and makes everything look more real and dangerous.
Sandra Bullock's performance is great. We never see anyone other than isolated Dr. Ryan Stone in Sandra Bullock's body. It is amazing to understand that for close to 80% of the film she is in front of nothing but a green screen for the special effects, but it is never noticeable. She carries the bulk of the movie and she does so smoothly and naturally, as if she was actually there in space, trying to survive and get back to Earth alive.
All in all, a great space suspense/thriller.