Best Actress 2013: Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Little is known about Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity.  He cowrote (and coedited/produced) the science fiction drama with son Jonás and Rodrigo Garcia (Mother and Child, Albert Nobbs) concerning surviving astronauts of a damaged space station.  Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey, Jr both eventually passed on the project, along with Natalie Portman.  Considering that the lead role has also considered Marion Cotillard, as well as Scarlett Johansson and Blake Livelys' names being floated around, the female role seems to either call out for Oscar winner and/or the latest young and pretty thang, which is disconcerting.  But, yeah, the studio has to sell tickets.  But, still, one wonders if the "right fit" was found.  Sandra Bullock and George Clooney eventually took the plunge.  I worry about the commercial prospects of this $80M project which sounds meditative and not unlike 2001: A Space Odyssey or Clooney's Solaris remake.  Original fare of this genre are tough sells, especially when the tone is more pensive.  Stories driven by females are even tougher sells.  Director Cuarón was behind Children of Men and Y tu mamá también, and it has been over six years since he has helmed a major motion picture, so this has an almost "make or break" feel to it taking everything else into consideration, including a postponed release date by almost one calendar year, which is now October 4th, with Universal as the distributor.  Filming took place in Lake Powell on the Arizona side and Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England.  Jany Temime designed the costumes for the greater portion of the Harry Potter franchise as well as Skyfall.  Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has been nominated five times for Oscar, including two Cuarón films, and has yet to win.

[Image via Celebuzz]

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