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| Source: Imdb |
Over the years, I have seen bits and pieces of this drama about a moon
mission wrought with problems, but never the whole thing, even though I love
space movies. I am so glad I finally got around to enjoying this captivating,
nail-biting masterpiece start to finish.
First off,
the entire cast – from the leads down to the last extra - was just superb. A
young Tom Hanks gave one of his best performances here; definitely a milestone
in his career. Bill Paxton impressed as his ailing comrade and Kevin Bacon took
a multi-layered and awe-inspiring turn as the odd one out. The dynamic between
them was exquisitely painted. Indeed, they did an absolutely excellent job at
conveying the whirlpool of emotions surrounding these events. The joy and terror,
the apprehension, the excitement, the determination, doubt and hope...
everything the people involved in these events are feeling is palpable on screen. There
are beautiful reactions to see in every frame. You can read everyone’s
inner dialogue and emotions. Absolutely perfect directing by Ron Howard here,
bringing out his stellar cast to shine.
In terms of
visuals, this had a lot to offer. At the
time, it must have been one of the most expensive and intricate film project,
and it has aged exceptionally well. It is obvious that this was assembled with
the greatest care and attention to detail. A limited number of sets probably
allowed for perfecting them. The cramped, utilitarian inside of the space
capsule came across perfectly credible on screen. The zero-G effects are
masterfully done (I’m not sure how they did the wirework in the limited space,
incorporating complex motion of the actors’ bodies. Incredible to think that
they achieved all this without CGI as we know it today. They did cheat, though, doing some genuine zero-G flights for certain shots, which does them credit in itself.)
James
Horner provided a lovely score that emphasised and underlined events in the
right places, but the composition of the film allowed for silent stretches as
well – to great effect. The editing supported this emotional roller-coaster too,
with a good pace that gave the actors the chance to employ their craft and
provided ample opportunity for the atmosphere to develop. The spiral of tension
twists tighter and tighter with new disasters striking at every turn and it is
impossible not to get sucked into the vortex of this true story.
All in all,
a fantastic achievement and deserving of its place in film history. 5/5
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