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Thursday, October 3, 2013

Movietime in Manhattan: The New Constellation of Stars Named Sandra Bullock and George Clooney Execute Performances Out of this World in Gravity by Warner Brothers Pictures, Highly Recommended by Whom You Know! Join their Adventure Starting Friday, October 4, 2013! Our Coverage Sponsored by ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN




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At 600km above planet Earth, the temperature fluctuates between +258 and -148 degrees Farenheit.  
There is nothing to carry sound. 
No air pressure.
No oxygen.
Life in space is impossible.


There's going to be a lot of girls born this year named Ryan. Or Sandra.  Or both.  Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) team up in this sure-to-be blockbuster by Warner Brothers pictures, and his character is as Joe Cool right down to his preference for a '67 Corvette as hers is uptight, out of her comfort zone and all-business.  Their highly-developed characters spout professional turned banter-like conversation adding brilliant color to this screen.  We are still waiting to hear about the conclusion of the Mardi Gras episode, and we admire how the filmmakers aimed and excelled at painting a picture of being marooned in space rather than formulating a sci-fi fantasy world, which would have been far less convincing.  

The true commitment to portraying reality is one of the most laudable aspects of this film and a daunting one once you learn the measures employed to achieve the level of success they did.  Stone is a brilliant medical engineer while Kowalski is Mission Commander.  Casting was spot-on and we don't believe any other actor or actress would excel beyond the performances of Bullock and Clooney.  Often when we hold actors in as high esteem as we held each prior to seeing Gravity, we become nervous that the new performance could disappoint us and shatter their standing in our minds.  However, the result of Gravity could not be further from that.  Akin to the recently released Prisoners, Gravity relies on stellar acting and all the effects, though luminous and dazzling to the nth degree, support the human stars of the show.  Expect to see a lot of awards earned by Gravity and stars Bullock and Clooney form their own unique constellation.

"I have always had a fascination with space and space exploration.  On the one hand, there is something mythical and romantic about the idea of separating yourself from Mother Earth.  But in many ways, it doesn't make sense to be out there when life is down here."
-Director Alfonso Cuaron

The sound of silence is absolutely deafening when disaster develops furthest from home.  The character that turns up during yellow flags of Nascar races according to Peachy's dad-the French guy named Debris-is practically the third character.

Surely you've seen the commercials by now.  You probably have some preconceived notions about what Gravity might be on the big screen.  Floating up in outer space with no one around but George Clooney would sound fantastic to most of the female population of the world with a pulse.  Seeing those kinds of sunrises would make most of us incredibly jealous of Sandra, however she proves to be so characteristically likable throughout you'll find yourself cheering her on with every move she makes to resolve conflict. Replicating zero gravity in the harshest environment for humans was made to look easy by star Sandra Bullock, who remains America's leading sweetheart as the protagonist in tandem with the behind-the-scenes technical team of Warner Brothers pictures that achieve a stellar cinematographic victory throughout.  She is much more than a mere sweetheart, however.  Sandra is a prime example of what women should be: smart, beautiful, self-reliant, and grace under pressure.  If Bullock has not yet gained your pure admiration, she'll gain it here.

We saw this in 3D and believe it is absolutely the way to go if you have that option; if you do not, the acting of this duo is so tantalizing that still in two dimensions it is deserving of the big screen.  "We didn't want it to be 3D for the sake of things flying in your face.  We tried to be subtle...to let you feel like you're inside the journey," states Director Alfonso Cuaron.

A movie like Gravity justifies the invention of 3D.
All effects were executed cleanly; you are aware you're in cinematic greatness without your mind leaving the story to think about each aspect chosen.

"I used to think that astronauts wanted to go into space for the thrill and adventure.  When I spoke to them though, I was so moved by their deep, deep love of that world and the beauty of Earth from their perspective, seeing the oceans and mountain ranges and the lights of the cities.  It's amazing to realize how small we are in this massive universe," says Sandra Bullock.

"I grew up with the space race; I am a child of that era.  I have always loved the idea of space exploration and am in awe of the people who do it.  They really are the last of the great pioneers," comments George Clooney.

A movie like Gravity also addresses the idea of Conflict Resolution in a big way.  No one could possibly have a bad day at work in contrast to what Bullock and Clooney are up against. At the very least, Gravity will you that feeling that your life is indeed a bed of roses in contrast.  You'll appreciate oxygen more as well.  These actors must have superhuman lungs.
Did you realize that George Clooney has been Oscar-nominated in more categories than any person in cinema history?  (Best Actor, Supporting Actor, Director, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, and Picture.) George must have been starving up there. We found out what
So what do you do when something goes wrong?  You try out the other space stations...the Russians and the Chinese are also up there.  How on earth-but they're not!- could these astronauts be multi-lingual enough to know what the buttons mean...or are they going to guess and hope for the best when they push them?  Plan B is important, and so is Plan C, Plan D...
Meet Ms. Grace Under Pressure.
Join her in a great escape from your world.
"I think it's a story about what makes us try when it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel.  What is it that makes you go that extra step just in case it was worth the effort to try?"
remarks Sandra Bullock.  That's how people that excel think we'd say.

So much credit belongs to the behind-the-scenes team, and also to NASA.
"We were very lucky that NASA was willing to share much of the information they've gathered, particularly in the form of photographs and film footage.  Astronauts actually make very good photographers; we got some truly stunning images.  We would look at the time lapse shots they did from the ISS and say, 'Gosh, if we did something like that, no one would believe it was real.'" says Tim Webber, Visual Effects Supervisor.
We learned acute attention to detail was employed in this picture.
"We found enough reference material to do a pretty faithful reproduction of the real Soyuz capsule, with a few intentional departures, like the side hatch.  We were fortunate to get excellent guidance from real astronaut Andy Thomas, who taught us about the Soyuz computer interface and commands and about many of the internal features of the capsule.  It was crucial for us to understand as much as we could about the way everything worked," explains Andy Nicholson, Production Designer.
Bullock adds: "I wanted to know exactly how they operated and what would happen when I hit a certain button.  Everybody was very dedicated to making sure everything we did looked authentic."
In return, Gravity we believe is the best argument for NASA funding in quite some time.

Here's a movie to tether yourself to starting tomorrow:

We believe you'll leave with a sense of peace.

Whom You Know Highly Recommends Gravity.
Bravo to all those involved!

"The meaning of 'Gravity' isn't just what keeps your feet on the ground.  It's the force that is constantly pulling you back home." concludes Jonas Cuaron, screenwriter.
"Going into this film, I had no idea what I was capable of on so many levels, physically, emotionally and mentally.  It was body-changing, mind-changing, mind-bending.  I hope people who come on this amazing ride will leave the theater also feeling transformed," reflects Bullock.
"This is a film with an exquisite filmmaker at the helm and a wonderful actress at its center.  It has themes that are unbelievably resonant, more than one might expect from a 'space movie.' It's about coming to terms with your own death...or your own life.  And I believe it will start a lot of conversations," says Clooney.

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Previously, Sandra Bullock has been featured on Whom You Know for her role in 

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Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and George Clooney (“Syriana”) star in “Gravity,” a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar® nominee Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”).

Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney). But 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 out into the blackness.

The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance fo
rescue. 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 further out into the terrifying expanse of space.
“Gravity” was written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, and produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” films). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones served as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes team includes multiple Oscar®-nominated director of 
photography Emmanuel Lubezki (“Children of Men,” “The New World”); production designer Andy Nicholson; editors Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger; and costume designer Jany Temime (the “Harry Potter” films). The visual effects were handled by Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (“The Dark Knight”). The music was composed by Steven Price.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents an Esperanto Filmoj/Heyday Films production, an Alfonso Cuarón film, “Gravity.” Opening October 4, 2013, it will be released in 3D and 2D and IMAX®, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.  
This film has been rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

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