Gravity (2013)

Movie Info

Ok…there have been better days in space.

A biomedical engineer named Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on a space mission to repair and update the Hubble telescope.  The rookie finds herself teamed with an expert named Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) who is on his final mission.  When debris from a Russian anti-satellite test destroys the shuttle and kills a majority of the crew, Matt and Ryan find themselves alone and adrift in space.  With the deadly orbiting debris still a threat and all communications knocked out, Kowalski and Stone much reach safety and the space station…if there is even a chance of surviving.

I feel Elon Musk lied to me when he said my trip on Space X would be fun

Written, produced, and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity is a sci-fi action/adventure drama.  The movie was in production hell for a long time and finally released in 3D.  The film was herald for its acting and special effects and released to record numbers.  The movie won the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects and nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress (Bullock), and Best Production Design.

I was kind of skeptical about Gravity going into it.  I love the films of Alfonso Cuarón and I enjoy George Clooney films, but I’m rather on the fence about Sandra Bullock who works in some films, but feels out of her league in other films.  I also am not a huge 3D guy, but I knew with a film like Gravity, that 3D was part of the necessary experience of the film.  The other problem I had going into this movie is the outcome of this type of movie is pretty typical…my fears however were unfounded and I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Just need a quick nap

The story of the movie is probably the weakest part of the movie, but it is still strong.  There isn’t much you can do with a movie once you get them up in space and lost.  *****Spoiler Alert***** There are two options:  they live/they die.  The movie split the difference by having Clooney die (and I was really, really hoping that as soon as he showed up again that it was only a dream sequence…fortunately it was).  I was 90% sure that Bullock would make it back to Earth because it was a mainstream film and having her die (or drown at the end) wouldn’t have gone over well with big audiences.  I don’t see her character really making it through everything when she can barely keep from vomiting at the beginning, but it was a fun ride.

Clooney remains one of the most charming leading men around right now.  His style is often compared to Carey Grant and it is with good reason.  He’s almost always the same character, full of witty banter, but it works.  It was an interesting switch that he is barely a lead in this movie due to the story, but he still feels like he’s there even when he is gone.  I’ve always had a hard time buying Bullock in heavier roles, but as she ages, she is better here.  There are a few Sandra Bullock moments that due hurt the film (eeny-meeny-miny-moe and her freak-out), but for the most part I find her believable.

This is coming out of your paycheck

Visually is where the movie soars.  As mentioned, I’m not a huge 3D person, but it did add an element to the film.  In space there is no direction, if you start spinning or flying out of control, you can’t really stop because there is no friction and that is very scary to me.  A majority of the film was worked on by scientists, so except for a few points, I believe a lot of technology and physics of the movie.  Despite not being a horror movie, I found the claustrophobic nature of space (which is ironic) terrifying and the movie does a good job banking on this fear.

Gravity is a fun film and a good thrill ride.  It is rather refreshing to a have a “new” action film that isn’t a remake, isn’t a sequel, and isn’t based on a book.  I went into the movie blind, and it was nice.  See Gravity for the spectacle and you might actually enjoy the ride…until they make a sequel Gravity 2:  What Goes Up Must Come Down.

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