Gravity Review

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in Gravity

Photo Credit: Warner Brothers Pictures

Gravity

A+

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

As I said after numerous episodes of Breaking Bad this season: I can breathe again it’s over. Few films, especially in the last while can be so tense that one forgets to breath. Gravity, the latest film from Children of Men director Alfonso Cauron is a part of that select group of films. It plays on one of the 21^st century’s biggest nightmares, being lost in space, and transforms it into a big, bold, and beautiful film. There is nothing that I have ever seen that is like Gravity, an ambitious achievement on a grand level and one of the very best films of 2013.

I won’t take too much time describing Gravity’s plot as this one is best seen shrouded in mystery. Essentially the film revolves around an engineer and an astronaut (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) on a seemingly routine space mission. Of course something goes completely wrong leaving them stranded in space alone with no one around to help them.

The first thing that jumps out in the film right away is just how utterly beautiful this film is; CGI has never looked better. Everything in the space, from the view of Earth to the vastness of space is so gorgeous that, at so many points in this film, it’s hard to tell that it’s actually CGI. The opening shot of the film is a continuous 10 minute sweeping shot of space and the station on which the characters are working on is one of the most stunning sequences I have seen in a film ever. Every moment feels so meticulously put together, so perfectly crafted, that’s it’s hard to believe. The 3D in this film is also phenomenal (yes I did just say that) as it adds a depth and beauty to the already stunning visuals. This film actually feels like it would lose something if not seen in 3D, which is amazing as it was added in in post production. The sound design and score are also utterly fantastic. The sound design is a fantastic mix of perfect silence and big bombastic disaster. The score is a perfect part of the film as it runs the gambit from being big and bombastic, to being small and barely existent. To really get the best experience of this film see it on the biggest screen, with the loudest sound, and in 3D. I saw it in IMAX 3D and I probably wouldn’t have watched it in any other way. The film just pops like nothing else on a massive screen.

Once stuff starts going wrong (again not saying too much) though the beauty begins to become an afterthought as fear and tension begin to take over. Once Gravity sinks its teeth in it doesn’t let go for a single second. From about the 10 minute mark the film keeps the viewer so far on the edge of their seat that there is fear of falling off. The film is so tense that, as mentioned earlier, the film never allows the viewer to breath during its peak points of tension. There are so few moments of downtime throughout the film, and by the end of the film (which surprisingly never wears out its welcome at all) I was drained and asking when I can do the trip all over again.

The film is essentially a one and a half person show. Sandra Bullock is the true star of this film, delivering the performance of her career. With such little background Bullock gives her character Ryan Stone so much nuance that’s it’s impossible not to care for her across every step of the film. It’s a stunning piece of acting, so simple, yet at the same time so subtle and complex; it’s sheer brilliance. Clooney works well as the old, weary astronaut with way to many stories, and while he doesn’t get the screen time the Bullock does, he’s a very necessary performance to have in the film. It’s also nice to hear Ed Harris’ voice as the mission commander pop up at the beginning of the film as it provides a twinge of nostalgia towards a certain other space film.

Gravity is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s a visual masterpiece as well as being a near perfect thriller, providing the best of sci-fi and horror all in one. Its ambition and polish are also things that are works of magic; the film feels like a work of pure love at every term. Safe to say that Gravity is an absolute must see, and one of the top tear films of 2013.