'Gravity' ****stars and All The Stars That Are in the Galaxy It Inhabits

 

it's all been said over and over. 'gravity' is one of the best of the year. it's the best 3d has ever offered. sandra bullock has never been better.  george clooney is the charmer of all charmers. director alfonso cuaron has created a masterpiece.

it jumps to the top of my 2013 best film list. sandra gets my vote for best actress as of today. i actually love saying that.

there are more films and performances to come. this is merely oscarbation edging at this point. but it's hard to see beyond this film right now.

it's a must see in 3d.

run don't walk to 'gravity'.

'Prisoners' ****

'prisoners' is a damn good film. jake gyllenhaal and hugh jackman are at the top of their game. it's one of the best thrillers i've seen in years. it's tough, suspenseful and gritty. it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart. child abductions never make for easy viewing. this is not the exception.

kudos to director denis villeneuve for keeping me on the edge of my seat for 153 minutes. and for making me not dislike maria bello and melissa leo as much as i usually do. 

i have a feeling it may get lost in the oscar madness even though it is one of the best reviewed films of the year. it is certainly in my top 10 as of this date.

'The Butler' ***1/2

the oscar season truly has begun. 'the butler' is a contender. it's american history from the perspective of afro-americans. finally! well yes you can argue that it has been done before by let's say spike lee. it just has not been universally accessible before. mr lee was just to angry for mass audiences. lee daniels has made an honest, tragic at times yet heartwarming film from the black man's perspective. it has dignity and that dignity comes from the heart and soul of the forest whitaker character cecil gaines. the real life white house butler's story takes us through five or so presidents (mr truman seems to have been left out) and the civil rights struggles and triumphs during their tenure. 

along with mr whitaker's cecil david oyelowo and oprah winfrey shine as son louis and wife gloria respectively. make no mistake i am not a big fan of ms winfrey but her performance here is oscar nom noteworthy as is mr whitaker's and mr oyelowo's. the rest of the cast which is large adds dimension and depth to both the black and white characters. this really is a must see. in the theater. now.

so you may ask why only ***1/2's? well there was a bit of stunt casting in the case of the president's depicted. they did not work. in fact they were a distraction in an otherwise flawless ensemble. and having two of hollywood's biggest liberals, john cuzak and jane fonda, portray richard nixon and nancy regan was just gimmicky. i admire both actors and i am a liberal but it ruined the flow of the film. nitpicking? not really. it just 'hurt' the film and knocked it off it's pace. that being said it is still a must see. now. today. this coming weekend. just go to a theater and support this film. it's a very welcome relief from the summer crap we are subjected to.

'Before Midnight' ****stars

'before sunrise' celine and jesse had a chance meeting with the promise to meet in six months in vienna when they got their lives in order.  nine years later 'before sunset' we learn that jesse showed up but celine did not due to a death in her family. but the connection was still there although jesse had married and had a son. would he stay with celine and leave his wife? we find the answer to that still another nine  years later 'before midnight'

within this trilogy we go from romantic interlude to the ups and downs of a marriage. each film shows the growth of these two characters and their aging as well. ms delby and mr hawke grow in each film not only in character but in their acting. they triumph in this well written and directed film. it's tougher than the first two installments but life does get tougher as we get older, look back at our choices and wonder what the future will bring.

although it stands on it's own i recommend that you rent the first two installments to fully appreciate the third.

i hope being released early that it does not get lost at year's end. as of this moment it is the best film of the year.