Gravity (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
"How did they DO that!?" That's what I kept asking myself of the filmmakers while watching 'Gravity' (written/directed by Alfonso Cuaron, A Little Princess, Great Expectations, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter 3, Children of Men), a visual extravaganza and riveting tale of survival set in the terrifying wilderness that is outer space. The film introduces us to medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) on her 1st mission, & veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) on his last. At the onset, these relative strangers are working hard on what seems like a routine research/scientific mission (she's trying to fix their Hubble telescope, he's observing her & entertaining his Mission Control comrades in Houston with whimsical stories from his past).
So the 1st 15 minutes or so of the film are peaceful, serene, & even a little playful (thanks to Clooney). But disaster looms on the sun-tipped horizon as Matt & Ryan learn that a storm of debris from other destroyed satellites in their orbit are heading their way. As they scramble for safety & their shuttle is slammed by said debris, rookie Ryan is hurled into space - spinning out of control with no center of gravity. We, the audience, are caught up in her horrifying free fall & gasp for air as we hear her heavy breathing. As she tumbles & tumbles into the never-ending darkness, we are also aware that the oxygen levels inside her suit are dwindling. Matt comes to her aid, but Ryan is completely shaken. Matt tries to calm her by commenting on the astonishing beauty of Earth, while she continues to worry (rightfully so) & ignore his protestations of beauty. From here on out, these 2 astronauts (mostly Bullock) must face peril after peril, near-miss after near-miss.
Murphy's Law takes hold: fires, explosions, lost grips, tangled ropes, faulty equipment, memory loss, depleting fuel levels, & rising CO2 levels. In the midst of this intense battle to stay alive, Ryan also begins her own spiritual journey. We learn that following the accidental death of her 4 yr. old daughter some yrs. ago, she had plunged into a depression that isolated her from humanity & made her focus on nothing but her scientific work. Unprepared for the life-&-death decisions that she now has to make, Ryan is ready to give up. But something happens to her that she can't quite explain that sets her on a literal & figurative course for home. High tensions, scares, catharsis, & her floundering fight to live unfold in this engrossing 90 minute adventure.
Alfonso Cuaron has created a 3D visual masterpiece. Honestly, I don't know how he & his craft team did it. The movie completely captures the atmosphere of space. I felt like I was right there the entire time; experiencing Ryan's confusion as she desperately tries to right herself. She's somersaulting, we're somersaulting. She's banging into spacecrafts, we feel like we're banging with her. We observe her trials, as well as feel like we're in the midst of the danger with her. Cuaron captures the vastness of outer space, while also making us feel stressed, drained, & claustrophobic. Emmanuel Lubeszki's camerawork here is a wonder. And the special effects team create movie magic. I'm still astounded by what I just experienced -- befuddled, actually. It's amazing stuff.
Sandra Bullock gives one of her best performances; not only having to perform all of the incredible physical tricks, but she brings a gravity (no pun intended) & emotional heft that this movie needs. Without that heft, this could have been a rather cold & flat CGI spectacle. Bullock runs the gamut of emotions from exhaustion to relief to despair and back again. But because her Ryan is damaged & because she almost wants to give up with each new problem she faces ... it's simply amazing to watch her become emboldened & stronger in the face of each new adversity. With each new disaster, she actually becomes more resilient, & refuses to cave-in. I mentioned earlier that Bullock's character goes on a sort of spiritual journey; and Cuaron expresses that in many images - I'm reminded of Ryan in a fetal position, she moves through fire, she talks of prayer, & late in the movie there's an image of her rebirth in water.
'Gravity' is an event movie -- one that doesn't occur often, & something you have to see in the theaters. If I were to nitpick, it would have to be with the script. The back story/character development for Ryan felt a tad facile. And the plot is little more than a straightforward exploration of the difficulties of fighting alone for survival. Oh, there is the spiritual journey & the emotional overhaul that Ryan undergoes - that stuff is great. But this movie is not exactly deep. All this said, 'Gravity' still provides excellent entertainment. Alfonso Cuaron keeps the level of tension high all the way to the fist-clenching end. The effortless filmmaking, visual majesty, central performance, & edge-of-your-seat suspense makes up for any script deficiency. And again, I ask, "How did they DO that!?"
So the 1st 15 minutes or so of the film are peaceful, serene, & even a little playful (thanks to Clooney). But disaster looms on the sun-tipped horizon as Matt & Ryan learn that a storm of debris from other destroyed satellites in their orbit are heading their way. As they scramble for safety & their shuttle is slammed by said debris, rookie Ryan is hurled into space - spinning out of control with no center of gravity. We, the audience, are caught up in her horrifying free fall & gasp for air as we hear her heavy breathing. As she tumbles & tumbles into the never-ending darkness, we are also aware that the oxygen levels inside her suit are dwindling. Matt comes to her aid, but Ryan is completely shaken. Matt tries to calm her by commenting on the astonishing beauty of Earth, while she continues to worry (rightfully so) & ignore his protestations of beauty. From here on out, these 2 astronauts (mostly Bullock) must face peril after peril, near-miss after near-miss.
Murphy's Law takes hold: fires, explosions, lost grips, tangled ropes, faulty equipment, memory loss, depleting fuel levels, & rising CO2 levels. In the midst of this intense battle to stay alive, Ryan also begins her own spiritual journey. We learn that following the accidental death of her 4 yr. old daughter some yrs. ago, she had plunged into a depression that isolated her from humanity & made her focus on nothing but her scientific work. Unprepared for the life-&-death decisions that she now has to make, Ryan is ready to give up. But something happens to her that she can't quite explain that sets her on a literal & figurative course for home. High tensions, scares, catharsis, & her floundering fight to live unfold in this engrossing 90 minute adventure.
Alfonso Cuaron has created a 3D visual masterpiece. Honestly, I don't know how he & his craft team did it. The movie completely captures the atmosphere of space. I felt like I was right there the entire time; experiencing Ryan's confusion as she desperately tries to right herself. She's somersaulting, we're somersaulting. She's banging into spacecrafts, we feel like we're banging with her. We observe her trials, as well as feel like we're in the midst of the danger with her. Cuaron captures the vastness of outer space, while also making us feel stressed, drained, & claustrophobic. Emmanuel Lubeszki's camerawork here is a wonder. And the special effects team create movie magic. I'm still astounded by what I just experienced -- befuddled, actually. It's amazing stuff.
Sandra Bullock gives one of her best performances; not only having to perform all of the incredible physical tricks, but she brings a gravity (no pun intended) & emotional heft that this movie needs. Without that heft, this could have been a rather cold & flat CGI spectacle. Bullock runs the gamut of emotions from exhaustion to relief to despair and back again. But because her Ryan is damaged & because she almost wants to give up with each new problem she faces ... it's simply amazing to watch her become emboldened & stronger in the face of each new adversity. With each new disaster, she actually becomes more resilient, & refuses to cave-in. I mentioned earlier that Bullock's character goes on a sort of spiritual journey; and Cuaron expresses that in many images - I'm reminded of Ryan in a fetal position, she moves through fire, she talks of prayer, & late in the movie there's an image of her rebirth in water.
'Gravity' is an event movie -- one that doesn't occur often, & something you have to see in the theaters. If I were to nitpick, it would have to be with the script. The back story/character development for Ryan felt a tad facile. And the plot is little more than a straightforward exploration of the difficulties of fighting alone for survival. Oh, there is the spiritual journey & the emotional overhaul that Ryan undergoes - that stuff is great. But this movie is not exactly deep. All this said, 'Gravity' still provides excellent entertainment. Alfonso Cuaron keeps the level of tension high all the way to the fist-clenching end. The effortless filmmaking, visual majesty, central performance, & edge-of-your-seat suspense makes up for any script deficiency. And again, I ask, "How did they DO that!?"