Apollo 13 (1995)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Chris Ellis, Joe Spano, Marc McClure, Clint Howard, Ray McKinnon, Todd Louiso, Loren Dean, Xander Berkeley, David Andrews, Christian Clemenson, Ben Marley, Brett Cullen, Ned Vaughn, Tracy Reiner, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Max Elliott Slade, Emily Ann Lloyd, Miko Hughes, Thom Barry, Rance Howard, Jean Speegle Howard

Storyline

Based on the true story of the 13th Apollo mission, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. 

Opinion

Houston, I have a problem. I did not like this film as much as I would have. I'd like to start by saying that I did not know what happened back in 1970 in the space, and while a part of me was feeling ashamed for being such an ignorant, the other part was happy because in this way the film would have been way more exciting. But I guess there is no worst way to kill tension than opening the film saying, "Based on Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger's book 'Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13'" when it's pretty clear Jim Lovell is going to be the main character - unless he wrote the book while he was exhausted on the Apollo 13, and he somehow managed to send it back to the earth, the result is pretty obvious.

Unfortunately this is not my only complain. Apollo 13 is extremely dull for the first 30 minutes of the film - revolving around Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon, and our astronauts preparing for their mission -, and even though it gets back on track after that, and it minimally manages to engage the audience and make them feel some empathy for the astronauts, it is overfilled with sentimentality.

Ron Howard does a pretty good job, and tells the story in a very accurate way, but, as I pointed out before, he linger on emotional scenes with the astronaut's family members and friends, that seems shallow, unnecessary and put there just to fill some time.

However, the editing is brilliant and perfectly manages to show at the same time both the difficulty encountered by the astronauts and their will to survive, and the efforts made by the base of the NASA to bring the guys back home. The musical score by James Horner is spectacular, and so are the visual effects.

The acting is great. Tom Hanks does a job, even though he is not much believable as an astronaut. Ed Harris excels as Gene Kranz. Great performances also come from Gary Sinise, an actor I like, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton respectively as Ken Mattingly, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. Kathleen Quinlan is also very good as Jim Lovell's wife.


Quotes

Gene Kranz: I don't care about what anything was designed to do, I care about what it can do.

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A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Genre


Director


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Cast

Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Josh Lucas, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Vivien Cardone, Christopher Plummer, Judd Hirsch, Jason Gray-Stanford

Plot

The film tells the story of John Forbes Nash Jr. (Russell Crowe), a mathematical genius, who made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim.
But soon Nash finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery once he is diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Opinion

I tried to watch this film about a year ago, but I didn't like it and I quit. I gave it another try and it was worth it. A Beautiful Mind is a fantastic film, and a great tribute to the life of John Nash. Although mathematics is a pillar of the plot, the film is never boring.
Ron Howard does an amazing job engaging the audience, and making them experience mental illness. Akira Goldman's screenplay, based on Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind, is brilliant. 
Russell Crowe is excellent. He does not act as Nash, he is Nash. The way he conveys mental illness is amazing. The elaborate makeup partially age Nash, Crowe does the rest. And most important, Crowe does not overshadow Nash. Jennifer Connelly is amazing as well as supporting actress. The chemistry between them is amazing.


Quotes

Dr. Rosen: Imagine if you suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse, had never been. What kind of hell would that be?

Nash: What truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me to the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional, and back. I have made the most important discovery of my career - the most important discovery of my life. It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found. I am only here tonight because of you. [looking at his wife] You are the only reason I am. You are all my reasons. Thank you.

Rating

8.8/10
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Rush (2013)


Cast
Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino, David Calder, Natalie Dormer, Stephen Mangan, Christian McKay, Alistair Petrie, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Colin Stinton, Jamie de Courcey, Ilario Calvo, Sean Edwards, Martin J Smith, Rob Austin, Tom Wlaschiha

Plot
James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) are two highly skilled race car drivers who first develop a fierce rivalry in 1970 at a Formula 3 race at the Crystal Palace circuit in England. 
Hunt is a brash, young Englishman with a tendency to drink and vomit before every race, while Lauda is a cool, calculating Austrian technical genius who relies on precision.
After a falling out with his father, Lauda take a large bank loan and buys his way into the BRM - British Racing Motors - Formula 1 team, meeting teammate Clay Regazzoni (Pierfrancesco Favino) for the first time. Meanwhile, Hesketh Racing, the racing team Hunt drives for, enters Formula 1 as well. Lauda then joins Scuderia Ferrari with Regazzoni and wins his first championship in 1975.
In 1976, the fierce rivalry between Hunt and Lauda will reach the peak.

Opinion
As a Formula 1 fan, I already knew about the rivalry between the two of them, and, though I've only read about it, I was afraid the film could have been a disappointment: so it wasn't. Rush is a brilliant film that deserves to be watched at least once. 
Peter Morgan's screenplay is good, but it wouldn't be the same without the two stars of this film, Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, which portrayed Hunt and Lauda almost perfectly.


 Quotes
A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It's a wonderful way to live. It's the only way to drive.
Happiness is your biggest enemy. It weakens you. Puts doubts in your mind. Suddenly you have something to lose.

Rating
8.0/10
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