'Gravity' is a film worth experiencing on the big screen and is one of the rare movies that are made for 3-D viewing.
I’ll just say it: ‘Gravity’ is a near-perfect film. Visually stunning from beginning to end, this is a gripping thriller that subtly builds a backstory for the main characters while rocketing the intensity of their situation.
Fans of Alfonso Cuarón, the filmmaker behind the 2006 science fiction masterpiece, ‘Children of Men’ will not be surprised by the pure intensity of ‘Gravity.’ With the former, Cuarón deftly pulled us deep into a chaotic future where women have been infertile for almost 20 years and the dying human race is in desperate need of a miracle.
In ‘Gravity’, Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, is also in need of a miracle. Stone is a medical engineer in space for just one mission – to install the new equipment she invented back home. And while a whole shuttle crew accompanies her, we really only get to know George Clooney's experienced astronaut - and Stone's lifeline - Matt Kowalski.
Cuarón masterfully draws us into the breathless beauty and horrifying isolation of space in the opening sequence; A spacewalk where newly-minted astronaut Stone is struggling with zero-gravity queasiness and Kowalski is entertaining mission control back on Earth. Things are relatively calm until the debris field of a destroyed satellite bombards the shuttle, killing fellow crew members and shutting down communications.
It is truly bone chilling to watch Stone adrift and terrified in the utter darkness of space. While I had my doubts about Bullock's ability to play such a singularly demanding role – who didn't have trouble with her even driving a bus in ‘Speed'? – she does an outstanding job of emoting horror. Stone’s realization that she’s cut-off from Earth delivers the audience a resounding gut-punch that leaves us reeling until the final moments of the film.
This movie is not for the faint of heart; Many of you still holding onto dreams of visiting space one day may exit the theater less eager for that voyage. The special effects from Cuarón and team are outrageously believable and with the support of great acting by Bullock and Clooney, 'Gravity' ultimately helps the audience experience space with surprising realism.
- Review: 5 stars out of 5
- Opens: October 4, 2013
- Rated: PG-13
