This year's highest rated film on IMDb has received practically unanimous praise from critics and fans for numerous reasons. My one fear was that the hype would ruin this movie for me. However, I was fortunately proved wrong..
Gravity is directed by Alfonso Cuaron and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in a 90 minute thrill ride set in the dark recesses of space. A group of astronauts, while performing a spacewalk, encounter a dangerously large amount of space debris coming from another exploding satellite near to their position. The following scenes show the events which happen prior to that and thus here we have Gravity..
I can safely say that Gravity is one of my favourite films of the year. When I was thinking about the movie before reviewing it I realised that I had absolutely no problems at all with any aspect of this film. Gravity sets out to do job and does it with aplomb!
One of the largest complaints I have heard from people is that at times the script attempts to be more emotional than need be, due to Gravity being a straight up thriller. However, I have to completely disagree with you and say that the emotional tone is 100% necessary. What is the point in placing a load of characters in danger if you aren't going to feel nervous for them when "shit hits the fan"? Exactly..
The characters are established well form the offset during an incredible scene which lasts for well over 7 minutes, with only 1 take necessary to capture it. There, Clooney's character Matt Kowalski and Sandra Bullock's character Ryan Stone share interesting and believable dialogue that sets them up as people you can care about.
George Clooney is good in Gravity but has a lot less screen time than Sandra Bullock and is thus overshadowed by her mesmerizingly good performance. This is probably the best I have ever seen her, it wouldn't surprise me if an Oscar nomination came her way..
Good characters and good dialogue established, now on to the meaty stuff. Gravity as a thriller is exceptional, the pulsating events that occur are so well realised and do excellently well at escalating the tension. There were points where I felt like shouting "For God sake Sandra Bullock, grab on to something now!!". Thriller's should affect you which Gravity does!
Gravity will win numerous awards in the technical categories come Oscar night. This movie is a technical phenomenon!
During the 90 minutes of this movie I saw some of the best special effects ever achieved in filmmaking. The people behind this movie spent such a long time at refining the visuals and I am so grateful for their time and effort. Practically all you see on screen is fake but never was I taken out of the movie. They are clean and beautiful. Actually that is understating it. They are BREATHTAKING!
The movie also does an amazing job at sucking you in due to the masterful work going on behind the camera. The cinematography, as it always is in a Cuaron movie, is outstandingly brilliant. POV shots, wide shots, long and swooping takes are all used to perfection to envisage this setting of awe, wonder and admittedly danger! I can't describe to you how good they really are. Let's just say, they make you feel as if you are weightless, as if you are up there floating around in space.
The musical score is as chilling as it is memorable. Sound, or the absence of it, is used exceptionally well. For example, there is one shot in particular with Sandra Bullock in the foreground trying to fix something and all you can see in the background is space debris obliterating the space shuttle. And not a single sound is to be heard.
That shit was terrifying!
Gravity has good characters and is a good thriller, but is made exponentially better by it's technical superiority. Expect to see this one up for numerous awards! I have no complaints, Gravity deserves my highest possible praise:
Rating - A+
1 sentence summary - A technical phenomenon, a master class of a thriller!
Gravity could well become a space classic like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey in the future. Top notch film..
Thanks for reading,
Matt
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