"Gravity" (2013)

All cinema is an illusion, but some more than others. “Gravity” is a supreme example of the way filmmakers can create a whole world out of vapor and immerse us into an experience that feels real, intense and amazing—at least insofar as anyone can attest to the validity of such a story as this. Scientists assure us that this film accomplishes more validity than any other, but if they are fibbing who are we to disagree?

The illusion falls apart a bit when it comes to the story. It is slim on plot, precarious on suspension of disbelief, and—for all of its birth imagery—weak on message. But not everything has to be about message. And, there is a sliver of something to be seen here. At least for me, Ryan Stones journey to new birth is a lot about the issue of faith.

There comes a point in the story where Stone is faced with her imminent death. Not the adrenaline fueled, disorienting terror of the first moments on mishap but rather a calm, still knowledge that she is going to die soon. She mourns a bit, prays a bit, and decides to quicken things as much as possible. However in that moment, she has an epiphany. She decides to go out fighting. She hasn’t the tiniest reason to hope he will live out the day, but she decides to fight for life as long as it is in her. She decides to believe that she can succeed. In her words: “Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one hell of a story to tell! Or I burn up in the next ten minutes. Either way, whichever way... no harm, no foul!”

Admittedly it is a weak form of faith. But it does make more sense than accepting defeat before its time has come. In a similar way, life is better when seen through the eyes of meaning, order, and the purpose of a loving creator than the pessimistic, empty chaos of dumb chance. And, if somehow that ends up being optimistic naïveté and there is no meaning, you’re no worse off. In fact, you probably had a better ride.

Poetry Scales

abattoir, brogue, cogitation
dalliance, escritoire, fulmination
gormandizer, hoarfrost, iridescence, juggernaut
kerfuffle, leitmotiv, mummification

naïveté, oubliette, pasteurization
quietus, repertoire, stridulation
tranquilizer, umlaut, vivisection, wanderlust
xenophobia, yashmak, zombification


(part 1 of a possible, planned, 27 part project)

"The Apartment" (1960)

Often considered one of the best “romantic comedies,” Billy Wilder’s 1960 film is indeed amongst the best of the genre because it doesn’t really fit. It is not the simple-minded story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back (or for today’s more common formula, reverse the gender roles), but instead is an almost depressing story of the reality of society’s idea of romance.

In a strange world of 1960s New York, where it seems every man is cheating on his wife, Jack Lemon plays Calvin Baxter, a man who can’t say no. He is therefor used and abused by all his superiors who adopt his apartment as a rendezvous point. Baxter thinks that this will eventually help him climb the corporate ladder. Where love is concerned, he is more idealistic than the other men. He is single but uninvolved. He likes one of the elevator operators in the building, Fran Kubelik, and he is shy but gentlemanly in his pursuit of her.

Fran, on the other hand, is the newest visitor to his apartment. When Baxter’s big boss, Sheldrake, learns of the arrangement he forces Lemon to change things so that only he is able to take a mistress there, and it just so happens that his mistress is Fran. She is not your typical mistress though. She was unaware that the boss was married when she fell in love and has broken things off when she realized he was not going to leave his wife.

However, things start up again when Sheldrake lies about his intentions and takes her to Lemon’s flat. One thing leads to another and Fran realizes that she is simply a plaything and tries to commit suicide in Baxter’s apartment. Baxter finds her, saves her, and nurses her back to health. For that, he earns a huge promotion but is willing to throw everything away when he too comes to his senses. Seeing he is merely being used, he quits to pursue a better career elsewhere.

When Fran hears of Baxter’s action, she realizes at once that he does indeed care for her, and that she too is not showing enough pride in herself. The ending scene is not the typical “happily ever after” scene, but there is potential.

Chewbacca (Star Wars Character THoughts)

More Thoughts: Intro, C3PO, R2D2, Qui-Gon, Obi Wan, Anakin, Padme, Han, Chewy, The Emperor, Yoda, Vader, Luke

Chewbacca is one of the more beloved characters in the Star Wars saga, even though he does not really speak a line of dialogue nor do too very much to further the plot. He is the steadfast companion of Han Solo, more like a dog of a best friend than another character. And that is not really far off the mark. Lucas was inspired to create the character by thinking of his own dog. In the background material to the saga, we are told that Han spared Chewy’s life and he has in turn sworn a life-oath to Solo. That is why he is so loyal, but there is a true friendship to be seen there.

And friendship is what we learn from Chewbacca and Han together. It seems to be one of the few strong, committed male friendships in pop-culture that has not been skewed through the lens of homosexuality. In the past couple of decades our culture has become incapable of accepting true, meaningful, male friendship without imagining that there must be some “hanky-panky” going on, even in the absence of any evidence. Science Fiction in the past ten years in particular has really become inundated with the assumption that all advanced cultures would naturally become completely boundary-less where it comes to sex, so naturally they should be at least bisexual and in some cases truly omnisexual with and species being fair game.

The Star Wars saga is one that was created when science fiction storytellers were not obsessed with sex; before the culture regressed into a mass adolescence if you will. Han and Chewy are therefore a great exploration of friendship that transcends a physical or even an intellectual dimension. Han and Chewy’s relationship is certainly not one held together by something as silly as sexual attraction, but it is also not one where they sit around and talk about ideas or interests. They are the epitome of male bonding. Not based on anything more than loyalty and mutual support. It is a relationship that is sorely unexplored in contemporary culture.

2013 in Film

Film in 2013 was, for whatever reason, less than inspiring. I saw far fewer films in first run than usual, and saw zero of the films nominated for Oscars before they were announced as such. Even now, one day before the ceremony, I have failed to catch up with any of the nine. So, this list will definitely change over the next few months…

(1st update 3/2/14)

Top Films of 2013:
8. Gravity
7. Oz the Great and Powerful
6. Pacific Rim
5. Stoker
4. Monsters University
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2. Star Trek: Into Darkness
1. Warm Bodies

Worst or Most Disappointing Films:
4. Man of Steel
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
2. Killing Them Softly
1. Fright Night 2

Films I Have Yet to See, But Need or Want To:
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
The Conjuring
Elysium
Epic
Frozen
Gravity (seen 3/2)
Her
Much Ado About Nothing
Oblivion
Philomena
R.I.P.D.
Saving Mr. Banks