Review of Oblivion (2013) by Thomas M — 07 Dec 2014

This gritty, sparsely scripted and visually stunning sci-fi offering has become one of my favorites of the last decade. Culminating with a jaw dropping plot line twist, you think know what the movie is about, but you are wrong. Unlike so many of the studio sci-fi's of late, the pace of this film carries you along, mimicking the routines of the life of a futuristic repair tech. Slowly, as one unremarkable incident after another unfold, you start to suspect something sinister is going on. And you get it at about the same pace as the actors do.

Unfortunately, Morgan Freeman, who I normally love, doesn't really fit the Morpheus-type role he was cast in, and this is the only weakness in the acting in this film. Cruise, Kurylenko and Riseborough are, in my view, completely believable. The action, once it really starts, is totally engrossing. I found myself, time after time, unconsciously leaning left and right, bracing for impact or jumping.

I write this review with a new appreciation for the art of this work. I watched another block-buster sci-fi offering last night: Interstellar. Sentient filmgoers (not, apparently, the public) will react as I did; comparing these two films makes you appreciate the rare fine story and execution of Oblivion even more.