Movie: Gravity

source: IMDB

5 out of 5

The story was a simple survival story set in an extraordinary setting. 

Dr. Stone was separated from her comrades after a disaster met them in space. Shortly, after minutes of rolling into space, she was joined by veteran astronaut and together they went back to the destroyed shuttle only to find that they were the only survivors.

What happens when you get trapped outside Earth? It was the same as being trapped in water with no means of going above the surface.

Dr. Stone was lucky enough that she was found by colleague Matt Kowalsky. However, misfortune remained to follow her.

With a low level oxygen to support her, they need to get to another shuttle to get one. Time wasn't at their side, nor was Matt's resources.

They were both close to surviving, entering the shuttle and all, however, Stone who was hanging literally by a single strand seemed bound to be left alone. Matt, seeing how bad the situation could be for both of them if he won't let go, decided to do the ultimate sacrifice, leaving Stone alone, as he drifted away, and into the unknown.

Stone made it inside the shuttle, but it wasn't still easy. There was a fire, and there had been a problem with her parachute. When she went out to fix it, another disaster befell on her. Nonetheless, the woman succeeded in doing what seemed to be the impossible.

However, she faced a serious trouble in the near-end of the film. She has a trouble with the landing. She cannot get anyone from Earth to answer her calls. Instead, a chinese man who seemed to be having fun with his dog was the one she was hearing. Slowly, Stone closed her eyes and she seemed to give up, saying that nobody would pray for her if she dies here, having a child who is dead already anyway.

But at the spur of the moment, Matt returned and with that playful attitude still. He told Stone to get it together and to do something to survive. Stone insisted that the fuel left is for launching only, but Matt said that she could use it for landing as well. Stone said her landing always turn out so bad. But Matt said she should still try.

Just like that, Stone opened her eyes and realized it was just a hallucination. Matt wasn't there, he never is coming back just like their other colleagues. But she had enough motivation to keep going and try anything that could work, even with the Chinese-charactered keys before her.

She was able to land on Earth, and she made it out alive safely.

In my own opinion, Gravity is the kind of sci-fi that is rich in vocabulary (seriously, half of their terms were foreign to me) and strong on the plot. What made me remain sitting on that cinema is the fact that it kept me guessing whether she'll make it or not. One moment you'll be convinced that she will make it alive, but in the next it'll confuse you once again. It was amazing how it all happened in just less than two hours. It was, of course, one of the most impossible things to happen in human history, but the movie was so convincing you'd doubt the impossible. :)

Movie: Legends of the Fall

source: IMDB

5 out of 5

It begins with a narration by an Indian, One Stab, about the Col. Ludlow's decision to leave the war and have a quiet life. Col. had three sons: Alfred, the oldest - too old even for his age, Tristan, second born - reckless and whom One Stab believed would live a short life but turned out to live the longest and Samuel, the youngest - his two brothers would do anything for him.

The story picked a fast pace and Samuel was shown to be returning from his mother's place with a fiancee named Sussanah.

When Alfred saw Sussanah, he showed signs of admiration she did not return. But when she saw Tristan, she sort of showed hints of admiring him. It then became evident when they were caught by Alfred on the night before the three left for war being intimate and too close.

The three went to war amidst everyone's being against it. Samuel wouldn't back down and he wanted to prove his quality, hence there was no stopping him. The two brothers went with him and sworn to protect him.

However, it must've been fated to have Tristan witness his death, his horrible death in the hands of the enemies. Samuel went on to the battlefield without the two and hence, his defeat. Tristan found him caught up by wires and his eyesight was defected by smokes. The enemies were at that time preparing to launch a series of shots on his body. Tristan was nearly there to shot the two soldiers but time wasn't kind. Samuel was killed by several bullets. Tristan quickly avenged his death by killing these foes. However, the fact that Samuel died greatly had an impact on him.

After that he became a man who thirsted for his enemies' bloods. He would come back to the camp with scalps of his enemies tied as a necklace around his neck. The other soldiers wouldn't say a thing about it. Alfred left the camp and Tristan remained, claiming that he could not go home yet.

Alfred fell for Sussanah who was robbed of a husband. Sussanah remained passive, dropping hints of waiting for Tristan instead. When Alfred was nearly successful, Tristan returned.

Jealousy got the better of Alfred and thus his war with Tristan silently brewed. Sussanah helplessly fell for Tristan and at this time Alfred had decided to go to Helena to make his name. Tristan though, couldn't seem to get over Samuel's death and had been constantly blaming himself for it. Hence, he left and went to those places the map hadn't tap yet...those places that belonged to people who were never mentioned in books and such. He wrote to Sussanah that she must marry someone else as he is dead already (metaphor). Sussanah grieved for this. It was then at that time when Alfred decided to run for congress and in Sussanah's despair-time, he asked her to marry him.

When Tristan returned, his bond with his father grew stronger. Sussanah was married to Alfred already. Tristan then once again saw Isabel Two, who was almost like a sister to them three. She had grown, and Tristan married her. They had two children, the oldest was a boy whom they named Samuel.

Sussanah was very jealous of this and even admitted it so.

Tristan was at that time, building his family and rebuilding their business. He started ignoring the law and had transgressions the authority disliked. On a day when they just intended to threaten him, a stray bullet hit his wife. Revenge was planned. This became successful. The authority came back to him, not for an arrest, but this time, to permanently get rid of him. He was about to be killed when the Col. showed up and fired his gun to the two men who were to assassinate his son. But him, being a crippled already, was doomed to be defeated by the third man had Alfred not been behind a wall with a gun on hand, loaded with the bullet that killed the one who would've finished off Tristan who stood in front of his father to catch the bullet.

Alfred was again accepted by his father after he showed that he would still choose Tristan and him amidst his place in the government.

Tristan lived a long life and was killed by the bear whom he wanted to kill so bad when he was a kid. One Stab said this was a good death.

Notes:

I liked this one. I am not a fan of Brad Pitt but this and Troy were really good. He did well in this movie and I think he's meant to have the role of a solo murderer.

I say that the only thing missing in this movie is the nice script. Brad Pitt did not have much lines, and his lines weren't strong enough to be quoted. But then, his character was silent type so, perhaps that'd justify it.

All in all, the fact that it tapped almost all types of situations makes it worth watching and worth reviewing.

Movie: Your Sister's Sister

source: IMDB

3 out of 5

The story begins when Iris' boyfriend's (her best friend's bro) first year death anniversary was being celebrated by their circle of friends. There it was revealed how messed up Jack (best friend) had been in the past year. Iris then thought of a plan to somehow get him back on his feet - she sent him to her father's house on the island to do some meditation, and to think his life over.

Unknown to both of them was that the Iris' lesbian sister, Hannah, was also there for an alone-time. Apparently, through a conversation with Jack over alcohol, it was found out that she had just walked out of a long-running relationship.

The night went deeper and just like any Y.A. cliche, sex happened between a lesbian and a lost soul through the effortless help of alcohol too.

When morning came, Iris came and Jack, out of concern thought they should keep the matter a secret. Hannah at first didn't get it why but played along according to Jack's command.

Hannah sort of showed signs of being comfortable about coming out, however, she was stopped by Iris' confiding one night. Iris claimed to be in love with Jack, but the fact that he's the brother of her dead boyfriend is stopping  her from pushing her feelings through.

However, conflicts began to rise between the sisters and the truth just had to come out.

When Iris innocently dropped the truth about her sister's wish to have babies, Jack had a hint that something more than sex might've happened that night. Although Hannah assured him that they used protection, he wasn't able to rest his case. He checked the used condom and found out it was a 'rain shower', to use his term.

At the same moment, Hannah told Iris that she did have the intercourse with Jack. This devastated Iris. Iris confronted Jack about it, and Jack told her about the 'rain shower'. Hannah defended herself by telling him that he wasn't even supposed to know about it.

Jack. being a guy with still the right amount of sense asked them to make up with each other. He said he won't be able to live knowing they had misunderstandings because of him. He left the house and the two sisters had quiet days.

Hannah apologized and Iris accepted it. The two reconciled while at that moment Jack was having his breakdown on the road. Perhaps it's coming to him - the looking at his life.

He went back to the sisters and did his speech, just like most cliches. And they became happy. The ending was open-ended: will Hannah have her baby?

Notes:

The movie was quite alright for me since it could happen in real life minus the scripted lines and the speed of recovery. Let's face it that it wouldn't be natural if there's going to be a girl as nice as Iris.

Personally though, I do not hate Jack. I liked his line that goes something like: "You will never understand how I feel about my brother." He was trying to say at that time that Iris could have loss, but not the kind of loss that he had when his brother died, and that's something she would never really understand. I think he was trying to make a point that we may lose a friend or disconnect but never could we understand real loss if we won't experience the death of the person who was important.

I didn't find Hannah's character very agreeable because I simply think she's a bitch. I mean, I did not feel much sincerity from her and she (and Jack too for this matter) does not deserve Iris' kindness.

Iris was sort of stupid and that's not the kind of girl you'd want to become. However she maybe have a strength of a different kind by being the nicest piece.