Every once in a while you come across a movie that is special enough that you tell everyone to go and see it. Gravity is such a movie. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also helmed the third Harry Potter film as well as the excellent Children of Men, delivers a masterful piece of contemporary cinema. I realize I have already given away my conclusion in this introductory paragraph, nevertheless I urge you to read on, so I can tell you why you should see it.
Gravity starts with a peaceful scene in which three astronauts perform maintenance on the Hubble Space Telescope. The Earth serves as a serene backdrop as they go about their way. For Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) this is her first time in space, for Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) it is actually his final mission. Unfortunately for them, the destruction of a nearby satellite triggers a chain reaction which causes a debris field to fly their way. The peaceful scene quickly turns into a messy hell with debris tearing up everything, and that’s only the start.
What makes Gravity so effective is the frequent use of first-person perspective, close-ups and long takes. The entire opening scene is in fact a single shot up until the moment the chaos breaks out. The viewers can literally feel both the vastness of space as well as the claustrophobic feeling of being in space suits and shuttles. We predominantly see the point of view of Dr. Ryan Stone, who has to really struggle to survive. Sandra Bullock does a very good job with this (heavy) role, which is in some ways reminiscent of that of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien, though far less action-oriented.
Some scenes are perhaps a bit overly dramatic, but when those come you are likely to be so drawn into the film already, that it won’t be a distraction. The drama is not even really the focal point of the movie, what sets Gravity apart from other science fiction films is the extreme roller-coaster-like feeling of suspense. In fact some scenes may actually leave you feeling slightly nauseous.
Despite some minor flaws, like an unrealistic brief moment at the end of the movie, this is overall one of the best two science fiction movies I’ve seen in the past five years (Moon being the other one). A must see!
★★★★★★★★★☆
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