Gravity is an intense science fiction drama directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It tells the tale of a space walk gone horribly wrong, and the subsequent fight for survival in Earth's orbit. Sandra Bullock plays the part of Dr. Ryan Stone, an engineer in her first trip into space. George Clooney plays an experienced, Matt Kowalski, who leads the mission as his last. In a twisted sequence of events, everything goes wrong as space debris effectively threatens the lives of the astronauts and cuts all communication to Earth.

The movie excels in the special effects department first and foremost. I loved it in 3D. The setting really comes alive, and the only way I think it could be better is if I saw it in a 3D Imax theater (yay motion sickness). Aside from that, things like zero gravity, and the vacuum of space is presented mostly correctly. There are some technicalities they did not get (tears falling, but not collecting on their face), but they did a stellar job. The rendering of Earth is spectacular and awe inspiring. If you don't agree with my assessment of the characters, I highly recommend going to the theater to see the movie for the effects alone.

The first person camera angles fuel the intensity in a way that third person viewpoints can't. Facial focus really gives the movie a unique character focused feel when it counts. All that, and the artistic uses of visual metaphors really drives the setting and story home in a way unusual to the genre.

The characters themselves are an odd bunch. We start out with a few visible characters. Kowalski, the experienced mission commander, tells repeated stories about his experiences. Stone, the engineer, repairs the Hubble Telescope in a final spacewalk. Right from the get-go the dynamic is established. One the one hand, Stone is the inexperienced newbie fresh from astronaut training camp. On the other, Kowalski is shrewd and experienced. This is important throughout the story.

It's clear who becomes the primary focus right off the bat. Bullock's character isn't the deepest one out there, sure, but she's strong. The element of minimalism here keeps our focus on survival, yet we need to care about Stone. One of these scenes is devoted to Stone's past reveals a person who expects to die, but for some reason clings to life, even after her experiences. This brief focus was the best way for the director to keep our hearts with Stone as she attempts to get back to Earth safely against all odds.

Though Gravity is predictable in that sense, I don't think it detracts from the visual, blood pounding experience. The small reinforcement keeps me on the edge of my seat for a character I want to live. While interaction is minimal, it is there, and in my opinion it only makes me more interested in the narrative. Which is ultimately a tale of survival using humanity's greatest strengths, intellect and willpower, to overcome the fragility of humans out of their elements.

Throughout the movie, we are continually reminded of Stone's "greenness". From her bare attention to critical detail, to having to read the manuals of basic operations. The viewer constantly wonders if she'll be able to get through the ordeal. At a key point in the story, she has a hallucination. Through this hallucination she comes up with a plan of action to get her into the next stage of her journey. This shows that she has the knowledge, but not the experience to be able to think on her feet, nor the clarity of mind to consistently perform under pressure.

All in all, I give Gravity a cool 9/10 for a mostly accurate science fiction setting, and an action packed tale of survival. I do think that there could have been more of a focus on the characters, but it's easily forgiven in light of the stellar presentation of everything else. It should be experienced by everyone who is looking for a decent action/drama flick, and definitely makes a trip to the theater, and 3D tickets worth it.

 

He's mostly a cameo, and not a star. I think he pulls off the quirky mission character well enough.

 

I really enjoyed it myself. It was one of those films that I legitimately felt could be a winner, like I did when I saw Inception.