Unfortunately when a film is this hyped up the final product is almost never what it’s been said to be. But on rare occasions a film with hype fulfills everything it promised to be and Gravity is a prime example of this. This film is, quite simply put, mesmerizing. This is what going to the movies is all about; this is a film that will go down as a classic space film with the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien, among many others. I had the opportunity to see this in IMAX 3D and it truly utilizes every luxury given by IMAX from its phenomenal surround sound to the immense screen; Gravity uses every bit of it to create one of the most immersive experiences I’ve ever had at the movie theater.
Rarely do I see a film that makes my jaw drop and with this film it was moment after moment of awe inspiring cinema. The long shots with no cuts, the most beautiful looking CGI I have ever witnessed, the wonderful acting from its leads; this movie was made to be praised. With such a long production time (around four years), once you see it you’ll understand why it took so long to create. It is meticulous in its execution and the research that most certainly went into this must have taken a year all on its own. One of my favorite things about Gravity is not so much what the film has but more about what Alfonso Cuarón and company chose to exclude, the sound. Space is an empty and vast nothingness and sound needs a medium to travel through. The filmmakers recognized this and created possibly one of the most accurate space environment ever in a film.
In this very real depiction of space, two astronauts have just survived a large wave of debris stuck in Earth’s orbit. With the loss of their entire crew they know the debris will soon make its way back to them, thus creating a tense adventure of survival. The debris destroyed their shuttle and the only hope they have is to make it to another capsule that will lead them, hopefully, to an escape pod capable of surviving the journey back to Earth. Oxygen is dwindling, propulsion is becoming impossible and the imminent threat of debris traveling faster than a bullet is on its way. Time is not on their side, but regrettably for them moving around in space takes large amounts of it. With so much adversity between them and home the only motivation to keep going is what is waiting for them below, or maybe above.
The special effects are top notch, we’ve addressed this, but without the strong performances from Sandra Bullock and George Clooney the effects would have been nothing more than great looking. The substance needs to be there for the special effects to really matter; each should enhance the other and with this everything works together in a sort of ballet of CGI and good old fashioned acting. As strong as the performances are no one person is selfish in wanting screen time. While this is very much Bullock’s movie, neither she nor Clooney got in the way of the true star and that is space itself. It feels as if they were the most opportunistic film crew in history getting the chance to actually film in space. They of course did not, but it certainly looks and feels like it.
All that’s left to say is SEE THIS MOVIE! It is worth every penny to experience it in all its glory. Make no mistake; films like this do not come around very often so take advantage while you can. Their aim was to entertain like never before and maybe even give a realistic window, to an extent, into the world of astronauts and they succeed immensely. The movie is everything I wanted it to be and I’m so ecstatic that Alfonso Cuarón is back. Gravity… we will see you at the Oscars, one way or another.
Rated PG-13 For: intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language
Run Time: 90 minutes
After Credits Scene: None
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
Out of 5 Nerdskulls
Story: 4/ Acting 4.5/ Directing: 5/ Visuals: 5
OVERALL: 5 Nerdskulls
