Predicted Rating: 4 Stars
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Starring: Sandra Bullock (Speed) and George Clooney (Ocean's Eleven)
First timer Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski (Bullock) are on a routine space walk near the Hubble telescope when debris from a recently destroyed Russian spy satellite comes hurtling towards them, destroying the telescope, the space shuttle Discovery and killing their fellow team members. Stone is sent flying off into space with Kowalski hot one her heels. They must then make their way to the nearby International Space Station as it is there only chance of survival.
Wow... that was visually amazing. The cinematography is simply breath taking. From the opening sequence of silence as we are orbiting the Earth to seeing Bullock helplessly spinning through space, your jaw is on the floor the entire time. It is also great to see 3D as something other than a gimic to get butts on seats. 3D should be saved for films like these where it is integral to the viewing experience and almost feels like another character as opposed to something that is added in post production. I also applaud the production team's decision to film on green screen with wires used to create zero-g as opposed to using the vomit comet. For those who don't know, the vomit comet is a NASA training device and was used in the film Apollo 13 where a plane descends rapidly to actually create weightlessness. The problem with using this is that there is only a limited amount of time that the weightlessness can be filmed and approximately two thirds of people get violently ill doing it. Using wires to create zero-g allows for longer sequences and a less green faced Sandra Bullock to be shown. This is vitally important when 99% of the movie is set in space. From what I gather as well, the production crew do a fantastically accurate job of replicating zero-g. Replicating these conditions on film are notoriously hard (even though working in these conditions is essentially a theoretical physicist's wet dream). There are notably a few mistakes but these are more down to creating a dramatic effect as opposed to not knowing what to do.
I understand that many people may be turned off from this film because they are not a fan of sci-fi. I am going to say this now, Gravity is not a sci-fi film just because it is set in space. It is far more a picture about a person's will to survive no matter the situation. This is strengthened by the fantastic performance of the two lead actors, or should I say the only two actors. The whole premise sort of reminded me of a Simpsons episode when Homer writes a screenplay before being Kim Basinger proclaims "without the talking pie it is just Alec Baldwin on screen for 90 minutes." Gravity sort of feels like this because without George Clooney, it would literally be Sandra Bullock on screen for 90 minutes. As a result, it takes a special performance to make this work and Bullock delivers. I highly anticipate an Oscar nomination for her, and at the moment, she is definitely the clubhouse leader.
Even though it is spectacular, I do have a few gripes about it. The Bullock zero gravity undressing scene isn't up to the standard set by Jane Fonda in the 1968 film Barbarella. That maybe because I find Fonda unbelievably attractive, however Bullock has some nice legs... There are also some scientific inaccuracies, like the orbital patterns of the satellites are all wrong and the director is obviously unaware of the surface tension of water. Finally the ending was a little standard. Even though there is no way this would happen, I would of loved to have seen it end as a tie in to another upcoming blockbuster. For example Bullock could make her way to her deserted landing spot, look up and see Raptors waiting for her on the beach followed by the title Jurassic World appearing on screen. Or she finds the Earth is inhabited by Apes and it is a lead into a remake of Planet of the Apes. However, alas, I am essentially nit-picking as this is a fantastic film.
Overall: Frontrunner for my Oscar of the best film of 2013 - 5 Stars
