Rating of
4/4
Review: Gravity
MikePA - wrote on 10/06/13
Gravity is a spellbinding cinematic experience. Director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) gets everything right - blending nerve-wracking suspense, gripping drama, edge-of-your-seat action scenes, and heavy emotion into a powerhouse motion picture that astounds not only substantially, but visually due to some of the best special effects I've ever seen and the incredible use of 3D. This is the most immersive 3D film I've seen since Avatar, and then some. If James Cameron raised the bar with 3D and visual effects in 2009, then Alfonso Cuaron shattered the freaking thing with his 2013 science-fiction near-masterpiece, Gravity.
Yep, it's that good.
The movie's plot is fairly straight-forward: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) are up in space doing some work and proceeding through a routine spacewalk mission. Stone is a brilliant medical engineer but this is her first time up in deep space, so she's kind of edgy. And Kowalsky, who has been in space a bunch of times, is a bit of a goofball, floating around the shuttle like it's a schoolyard playground. Their mission is going pretty well and typically routine - that is until disaster strikes. Loads of heavy debris from a Russian anti-satellite test turn the routine mission into a life-threatening situation, ultimately leaving Stone and Kowalsky with a loss of contact with Earth and low oxygen levels. They're left drifting in deep space, struggling to find the key to survival.
What more do you need? More or less, Gravity is a straight-up thriller, so what's offered in terms of plot is completely good enough to make for a breakneck action film. Which this film certainly is. But why complain about the thin plot? You'll be too busy gripping your seat and catching your breath.
There isn't much substantial deepness in the film's core (besides a few thematic elements which are well planted), but what Cuaron and co-writer Jonas Cuaron (Alfonso's son) provide us with certainly gives the film enough emotional weight to make the more powerful moments stand out. From Cuaron's precise exploration through the character's mindset to the actor's exceptionally convincing performances, these are deeply effective and emotion-heavy moments. Every second of it worked for me.
The film is frequently terrifying, and not in the manner of a typical horror film about ghosts or demons which rely on jolts and sound effects - but in terms of atmosphere, isolation, physical betrayal, and high-level tension. What I mean by physical betrayal is that, drifting alone in space, you have almost no control over where you go. Your body and genuine movement is giving up on you and the horrors of deep space is possessing it. Even the concept of isolation in space is terrifying, an idea which the film executes brilliantly. The action moments crackle and crumble with tension and are so freaking horrifying, it's hard to look away even if you want to. Once hell breaks loose, the suspense gets relentless and more and more intense as it reaches its final and most powerful sequence. Sandra Bullock's character battles low-oxygen, a deadly fire, two deadly debris storms, and complete isolation. She can't even contact Earth, which makes matters so much more stressful for her. It's a scary film that left me tense and exhausted.
Sandra Bullock is amazing here. It's her wonderful performance that helps carry the movie through its tight 90-minute duration. She nails every moment in, whether she's stressing out or sharing her tragic back story about her daughter, which, by the way, she does absolutely beautifully. I won't be surprised if she's rewarded with an Academy Award nomination. George Clooney's performance is entertaining, providing some fun comic relief as the character who just wants to make the best of everything. But fear not, Clooney does have that one moment that will enthrall you.
The film looks insanely realistic and gorgeous and totally convincing. The 3D blew my mind. It's so immersive you legitimately feel like you're in space with the characters, part of the situation. I know now that if I want to go up in space, the most realistic view I'll likely get is watching this film.
The cinematography is pretty outstanding. The film opens with an incredible, nearly 20-minute long one-take-wonder that beautifully blends CGI with live action. It's very reminiscent of Cuaron's great Children of Men, which also featured many long, steady takes. There are also moments in the film that really mind-fucked me. In about a dozen instances I thought to myself, "How the hell did they do that?" That's saying something.
Believe the hype: Gravity is amazing. I loved it. It's scary, it's intense, it's emotional, and it's lots of crazy fun. It isn't merely my favorite film of the year so far, but one of my favorite films of the decade.
4/4
