10 Movies I've Enjoyed for Whatever Reason #07 "Apollo 13"

   Ron Howard is a superb film maker (eclipsing his fame a second time around from child star to Richie Cunningham and now Director of some epic movies). Case in point is the film "Apollo 13"!! You see the tension in the film is how these astronauts survive an onboard explosion, malfunction and aborted Moon landing... where the whole time, we know the outcome.
   So the challenge to the Director is to use: footage; dialogue; responses to adversity; and inside knowledge to heighten the tension... you forget they did make it back while you wonder at how, given the 'long shot' and the task for ground crew. This is evidenced in the move to convert the lunar module when the air filters are round and square, creating the scene where a Team are given only what is at hand on the craft (duct tape included) to make a connector. There are manual fuel burns lining up the earth in the window pane and more...
   Was it a malfunction? Human error? How does this effect the team dynamic when the astronaut in question was sub for illness?
   'Cousin Tom' or 'Hanx' as he signs off on twitter, anchors the story with humour, warmth, authority and plan common sense and hope as needed...