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Gravity, a review by GSyren

Title	Gravity (5-051892-150248)
Director
Actors	Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma
Produced	2013 in United Kingdom
Runtime	91 minutes
Audio	English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles	Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Overview	Dr. Ryan Stone (Oscar winner Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant engineer on her first shuttle mission with a veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Oscar winner George Clooney). On a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone, tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling into the darkness. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go farther out into the terrifying expanse of space.
My thoughts	I'm conflicted about Gravity. Technically it is absolutely brilliant. Acting wise OK. I like Sandra Bullock, but maybe she's not quite able to carry a film more or less by herself. George Clooney is excellent, though. The main problem for me is the script. First of all it's too improbable. Secondly it does not make me care enough for Bullock's character. And that's fatal in a drama like this. There are a lot of metaphors in the film, and that's fine by me, but the film has to work even if you don't get the metaphors. I would have expected to dislike the CGI, but I didn't. And that's saying something, seeing how this movie is almost all CGI. For the most part it's an animated movie with some live action bits inserted (mainly heads). And it works! It's brilliantly done. But it's not enough. I would rate it 5 stars technically, 3.5 stars for the acting, but only 2 stars for the script. Weighing that together is not easy. If I had seen it on a big screen perhaps the sheer technical achievement would have swayed me to give it a better rating, but as it is, an overall rating of 3.5 is generous.
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on March 25th, 2014)

A Room for Romeo Brass, a review by Jon

A Room for Romeo Brass **** Year: 1999 Director: Shane Meadows Rating: 15 Length: 87 Min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo

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12 year olds Romeo (Andrew Shim) and Gavin (Ben Marshall) live next door to each other. They're the best of mates with a shared sense of humour that helps them survive in a landscape of comic losers and broken dreams. But their friendship is put to the test by a chance encounter. After a stranger saves them from being beaten up, the boys are only too happy to help their new hero and pal in his quest to date Romeo's sister. Little do they realise they are being drawn into a world of dangerous obsession, violence and desperation; a world that threatens to tear the two friends apart. From acclaimed director Shane Meadows 'A Room For Romeo Brass' is a contemporary coming-of-age story that is as funny as it is frightening.

A Room For Romeo Brass, Shane Meadows’ second film, is a charming story of growing up that features several themes that can be seen throughout the directors career.

It’s a simple plot about two friends, Romeo and Gavin. One day they get involved in a typical scrap with some kids who picked on Gavin and they are rescued by Morell (Paddy Considine) who breaks up the fight. Morell is out of work and clearly a loner, but takes to the two boys. They spend a lot of time together, especially as Morell fancies Romeo’s older sister, Ladine, and they try to help him charm her, seeing as she probably wouldn’t look at him twice otherwise! Romeo is especially enamoured with him, because he doesn’t get on with his dad, who is trying to mend bridges with his family following what is implied to be a violent past. The story takes a sombre turn when Romeo starts ignoring Gavin in favour of the stranger.

The brilliance of 24-7 carries through to this film as the naturalistic cast have a wonderful, real banter with one another, which while being very funny with great dialogue, also feels genuine. That supports the story as it takes a more serious turn, then an even darker one, without ever losing its charm or the viewer’s confidence. Romeo and Gavin are very much the central characters and drive the narrative, even when things are happening to them, rather than them forcing it. That’s so important because what I mean is, this is just their life and it’s vitally important to them, not just some farcical caper they’re getting into; and they don’t even have Stand By Me’s built-in sense of nostalgia, which focuses on the idea that the kids will grow up… have grown up, even.
 
I can’t find a real fault with the film, except maybe I would have liked to have seen more of the storyline with Romeo’s dad, played by Frank Harper, especially in the scenes with his daughter, Ladine (Vicky McClure who along with Andrew Shim crops up in more of Meadows’ work). Harper was superb in this. You probably know him as Dog in Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, plus he was in 24-7 as a rather similar character. Therefore I was surprised to see what a layered, delicate performance he gave here as a man trying to come to terms with his past and prove to his family he had changed. It gives the cathartic ending an edge of irony too and I really enjoyed that angle. Oh, and a note for Bob Hoskins. The man is a genius. He gets a couple of very brief moments, as one of Gavin’s teachers who visits him at home, and they amount to mere seconds, but he is wonderful in them.

Filmed in the East Midlands, near my area, the best compliment I can give this film is that I know these people and I know where they come from and I never questioned that, once. It never feels sensational or romanticised, which more well-known working class British comedies like The Full Monty rely on.

That does however mean that it doesn’t pander to any particular audience, so sadly it can easily fall through a crack between genres, never to be seen again! Kids would identify with Romeo and Gavin and get a lot more from this story than they would from most stuff aimed at them, but it does take a very violent and terrifying turn. I would implore you to see it and treat it as nostalgia for yourself if not the characters, like Meadows clearly does.

(From "Fancy the pictures, me Duck?": The British Film Marathon on March 15th, 2011)

NCIS Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

21. BLOODBATH
Abby (Pauley Perrette) is almost killed by key evidence in her lab. Gibbs and the NCIS team quickly find that someone from her past wants her dead.

My Thoughts:
This is another of my favorites. An excellent episode. Of course I love the episodes about the adorable goth Abbey. This one is really disturbing... her stalker ex-boyfriend is in a league of his own. I enjoyed this episode so much that I had to watch it immediately again so I could watch it with the Commentary on (Cast Commentary with Pauley Perrettte [Abbey] and Michael Weatherly [DiNozzo]).

My Rating:

22. JEOPARDY
A suspect dies while iN Ziva's custody. The suspect's brother kidnaps Jenny and demands the release of his brother, whom he doesn't know is dead.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode. I always like the ones where the main cast is in trouble. And this time not one... but two of the newest cast members in trouble. In this episode they did a good job of combining two storylines into one good one.

My Rating:

23. HIATUS (PART 1)
Gibbs is seriously injured in an explosion. While in the hospital he recalls his painful past. Tony is left in charge, which causes resentment among the NCIS team.

My Thoughts:
The start of a very good 2-part season finale. Though I have found while it is a very good story... I tend to drift away from the story after watching it multiple times.

My Rating:

24. HIATUS (PART 2)
Following the bomb explosion, Gibbs struggles to piece, together his memories of the past 15 years. Meanwhile, the NCIS team tries to prevent a terrorist group from carrying out another 9/11-magnitude bombing.

My Thoughts:
A good conclusion to the last episode. And it has an unexpected ending. A good way to end a season... but not really my favorite season finale.

My Rating:

(From NCIS Marathon on December 17th, 2009)