Sebastián Cordero
24 connections found
Filmography
View:
Connections, in both directions
Despite the aural nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey and a shot that recalls Solaris, Europa Report has more in common with Shane Carruth’s Primer in terms of tone and scale.
The silence and solitude of space bring to mind Duncan Jones’ brilliant “Moon,” and there is a brief, explicit and funny reference to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
(Film buffs will appreciate a brief musical homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.)
The filmmaker tips his hat to "2001: A Space Odyssey" - which depicted a voyage to the same neck of the solar system - with some visual nods and a few seconds of "The Blue Danube" waltz.
Gelatt’s script is a skillful blend of realistic sci-fi procedural and elements of mystery, building suspense while scratching an itch for those who worship the elegance of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which is directly referenced.
The sense of immersion in the ship’s mundane rhythms isn’t the only passing reminder of “2001: A Space Odyssey”; listen closely for a quick snippet of “The Blue Danube” in an early scene.
The silence and solitude of space bring to mind Duncan Jones’ brilliant “Moon,” and there is a brief, explicit and funny reference to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
"Europa Report" also evokes " Moon ," Duncan Jones's excellent debut feature, in that it accomplishes a lot with a little; on limited resources, it suggests both the claustrophobia of tight, lived-in spaces and the infinity beyond.
Thus, while Europa Report recalls such small-ensemble stuck-in-space flicks as Moon and Sunshine , it's basically The Blair Witch Project relocated to the vicinity of Jupiter.
Cordero makes good use of a relatively light budget (recalling Duncan Jones’ underrated mind-bender “Moon”) and maintains a crisp pace.
The fact that “ Europa Report ” starts on the “Moon” end of the spectrum with its cerebral approach is already commendable; incorporating a found-footage element along the way without succumbing to handheld incoherence feels damn near miraculous.
A quiet, modest chamber piece more like Moon than Star Wars, it's about a crew of six astronauts - four men and two women - undertaking the first manned space mission in history to go beyond the moon.
Despite the aural nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey and a shot that recalls Solaris, Europa Report has more in common with Shane Carruth’s Primer in terms of tone and scale.
This is a classic space-mission-gone-wrong movie, with obvious echoes of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” and numerous others.
Sebastian Cordero's movie has many of the same ingredients found in "Prometheus" and precedents like "Alien," but roots them in a realistic science basis.
Europa Report is not run-of-the-mill sci-fi: There's little action of the Bruce Willis Die Hard sort, no crazy Alien-esque creatures or murderous computers.
There are some allusions to Alien (1979) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - including the Strauss waltz - but there's no belly busters or snakes on the space craft.
For the most part this avoids Alien-style horror in favor of realistic suspense rooted in the mission's physical and psychological demands.
All the great space movies from “2001” to “Alien” understood that it’s more than a little scary going “out there.”
The story itself is a variation on Ten Little Indians, which was of course also the basic plot gimmick of the first Alien.
This is a classic space-mission-gone-wrong movie, with obvious echoes of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” and numerous others.
Despite the aural nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey and a shot that recalls Solaris, Europa Report has more in common with Shane Carruth’s Primer in terms of tone and scale.
Further differentiating this from something like Prometheus is the level of authenticity brought to the film, with well-done practical effects, believably detailed production design, and some surprisingly savvy dialogue that feels knowledgeable about astronomical terminology without shoving the viewer’s face in it (contrary to a film like Primer).
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick
influenced Europa Report (2013)
Visuals Plot
From “The Blair Witch Project” to the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, the found-footage theme has been both wildly successful and widely replicated in horror films.
Thus, while Europa Report recalls such small-ensemble stuck-in-space flicks as Moon and Sunshine , it's basically The Blair Witch Project relocated to the vicinity of Jupiter.
Never mind that this is a premise Arthur C. Clarke's 2010: Odyssey Two already explored to similar consequence, nor that Europa Report is essentially an intergalactic The Blair Witch Project: best to focus on an unfortunate framing story that dumbs down the proceedings, emotionally and intellectually, at the exact moment the picture appears to be gaining momentum.
The entire story is told through this video footage shot by various cameras inside the spacecraft, so the film could be described as a found-footage thriller in the tradition of The Blair Witch Project and other horror movies.
This science-minded approach extends to the film’s formal rigor and extraordinary level of detail, courtesy of production designer Eugenio Caballero (who won an art-direction Oscar for “Pan’s Labyrinth”), whose sterile-yet-functional conception of the ship’s interiors has been brilliantly integrated with the f/x work supervised by John Bair; the occasional roughness of the visuals, such as the slightly pixelated images captured on Europa’s surface, feels consistent with the built-in technical limitations of the premise.
The production designer Eugenio Caballero won an Oscar for Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
“Europa Report” marks an audacious English language debut by Uruguayan director Sebastián Cordero (“Crónicas”), who once again works with two longtime collaborators, Academy Award-winning production designer Eugenio Caballero (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Impossible”) and cinematographer Enrique Chediak (“127 Hours”).
Thanks to the work of Eugenio Caballero (Pan’s Labyrinth) and John Bair, who handles sets visual effects, respectively, Europa Report is able to capture a sense of wonder and adventure despite the lack of money.
Cinematographer Enrique Chediak (127 Hours) and production designer Eugenio Caballero, who won an Oscar for his work on Pan’s Labyrinth, contribute to the movie’s visual vitality.
This is yet another found-footage film, but for once that gimmick partially works; this is a far more beautiful and accomplished feat of craftsmanship than the dreadful, similarly themed Apollo 18 .
Even a similar found-footage picture like 2011's " Apollo 18 " offers more commercial thrills in the long run.
Ever since that horrendous excuse for a film Apollo 18, I’ve seriously soured on the whole “found footage” horror aspect being used in space.
Europa Report is presented as a documentary about the mission, but before you get flashes of Apollo 18 and close this window, this isn't just another found-footage movie.
How I wish you could have washed away the intergalactic doldrums of Apollo 18.
While cinematic spaceships have been leaving our planet for distant destinations at least since Georges Méliès' 1902 "A Trip to the Moon," the unfolding narrative of Europa One (named for the moon of Jupiter it's headed for) captures the excitement of space travel in a way that's not business as usual.
Well, almost – but the point is that where most interplanetary sci-fi, in the “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” vein, depends on either unimaginable advances in human technology or suspending the known laws of physics, even the most fanciful elements of “Europa Report” can’t be considered impossible.
A quiet, modest chamber piece more like Moon than Star Wars, it's about a crew of six astronauts - four men and two women - undertaking the first manned space mission in history to go beyond the moon.
Sebastian Cordero's movie has many of the same ingredients found in "Prometheus" and precedents like "Alien," but roots them in a realistic science basis.
If this isn’t quite a great movie, it should be an immensely gratifying one for sci-fi fans tired of the conceptual overkill and general dumbness of “Prometheus” or “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
Viewers expecting the grandeur and spectacle of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Ridley Scott's " Prometheus ," or even Danny Boyle's " Sunshine " will walk out of "Europa Report" less than satisfied.
Further differentiating this from something like Prometheus is the level of authenticity brought to the film, with well-done practical effects, believably detailed production design, and some surprisingly savvy dialogue that feels knowledgeable about astronomical terminology without shoving the viewer’s face in it (contrary to a film like Primer).
Rather than falling victim to yet another race of bloodthirsty extraterrestrials (a la 2012’s “Prometheus” and last month’s Cannes-preemed “The Last Days on Mars ”), they encounter perils of a far more persuasive and unsettling nature.
“Europa” is closer to “Apollo 13” than “Prometheus.”
Europa Report is not run-of-the-mill sci-fi: There's little action of the Bruce Willis Die Hard sort, no crazy Alien-esque creatures or murderous computers.
Its a call back to The Abyss, with elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mission to Mars, and dozens of other great to god-awful sci-fi efforts.
“Europa” is closer to “Apollo 13” than “Prometheus.”
Down on Earth, Embeth Davidtz (2011's " 3 Backyards ") is effective as Dr. Samantha Unger, CEO of Europa Ventures, who remembers all too well when her crew's mission feed went dark.
Well, almost – but the point is that where most interplanetary sci-fi, in the “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” vein, depends on either unimaginable advances in human technology or suspending the known laws of physics, even the most fanciful elements of “Europa Report” can’t be considered impossible.
Star Trek called it the final frontier, an allusion to the unexplored plains of the 1800s which saw many a pioneer plot out their own piece of the still in development American Dream.
From “The Blair Witch Project” to the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, the found-footage theme has been both wildly successful and widely replicated in horror films.
However, “Europa Report” is not a typical space monster movie, nor a psychological genre entry like “Solaris” or “Event Horizon.”
Its a call back to The Abyss, with elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mission to Mars, and dozens of other great to god-awful sci-fi efforts.