Directed by:
Alfonso CuarónCinematography:
Emmanuel LubezkiComposer:
Steven PriceCast:
Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Paul Sharma, Amy Warren, Orto Ignatiussen, Basher SavageVOD (3)
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Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth... and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (16)
Gravity is a gripping film in which the levels of revolutionary technological advancement, spectacular blockbuster, physically intense suspense and personal drama are in perfect balance and symbiotically form a flawless spectacle. The film is captivating in the way that it conveys the wonder and terror of space, but it also tells a purely human story of inner rebirth that takes place through facing one’s own pain and transforming agonising loss into empowering melancholic mourning. Among other things, reflecting on the film raises the question of whether it is appropriate to describe it as science fiction. It is true that, unlike works typically associated with the sci-fi genre, Gravity does not take place in the future or on other planets, nor does it contain any elements of fantasy. However, in terms of its motifs, it simply cannot be classified otherwise. It has very little in common with futuristic equivalents of fairy tales, westerns and romantic adventures like Star Wars and Star Trek, but such stories comprise only one segment of science fiction. Conversely, the latter contains works that place emphasis on relating humanity to space, which relativises traditional values and concepts of human existence. The highlighting of these motifs and the bold thematisation of the spectacular nature of space, as well as the screenwriter’s creative license in the approach to the scientific and realistic aspects, sets Gravity apart from films relating to real space travel, such as Apollo 13, where space is essentially used as a mere backdrop. In Gravity, space and the action set in it comprise a metaphor for the inner drama of the film’s protagonist, which in turn reciprocally forms the dramatic framework for the depicted spectacle.
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Together with Man of Steel, the most intensive movie experience of the year. Where the new Superman banged with its hectic and endless action, Gravity amazes with the visuals. But not only that, it also makes you root for the fragile protagonist in her struggle against crushing loneliness and the feeling of utter hopelessness. I was expecting a slow, philosophical and depressive movie, but Cuarón surprised me delivering a brisk sci-fi survival that’s very, very far from philosophical boredom.
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Oxygen level 1%. A nerve-racking space ride that redefines the boundaries of the genre. Especially with its visual style. Cuarón is a master of choreography, a whole damn lot is happening on the screen at once and, in combination with the sound (especially Price’s music), the visuals make this one of the top space adventure movies we have seen this year or maybe ever. Sandra acts well and quite comfortably carries the movie on her shoulders, but Clooney is the real charmer here. There are a few weaker moments, but for a classically structured survival thriller, this time against mother nature and the emptiness of the space. Literally breathtaking.
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So Murphy’s laws apply up there in the silence of space too... Straightforward or, if you like, story-less, minimalist but still grandiose. Gravity is unarguably a breathtaking technical revolution; whether the delicious games they play with the camera or the (non)presence of sound is indescribable and what Cuarón does for 3D or for working with sound is certainly innovative. But what is the good of this if the movie is no good and serves simply as a sparkling director’s showcase? That’s right, no good. But this movie is not just good, but outstanding, intense and incredibly engrossing and fully functional in terms of emotions. And this is not in spite of, but mainly to thanks to Sandra. And also thanks to Cuarón, Lubezki and Price and... And simply if you like to spoil yourself a little, then go see this (as far as possible) realistic, little-big creation at an IMAX movie theater; it’s (and you are) worth it and it gives you a good answer to the question “why when every other household owns a home theatre with the parameters of a good movie theater" bother to go see movies at a real life movie theater. It’s like standing in front of the pyramids in person compared to a photo of them in a movie; incomparable.
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2001: A Space Odyssey, which this film reminded me of several times during the screening, confronted man with the great unknown. In Gravity, like in the most classic folk tales (which are usually dominated by a man, not a woman), man is confronted mainly with himself and his (limited) possibilities. This is not the only indication of the film’s classic nature. Another wager on certainty is the three-act narrative structure (three sanctuaries provided by three space stations, each of which representing a different religion) with precisely doled out story complications and exemplary use of deadlines, which contribute to the impression that the things we see are happening in real time and thus nothing is decided and certain in advance. As others have previously described in detail, Gravity is gripping not in spite of but thanks to the use of classic Hollywood narrative formulas. The intensity of the experience is aided by limiting the narrative to what Dr. Stone sees, hears, knows and experiences, as she becomes our avatar for roughly eighty minutes. Perhaps during the most intense moments, we don’t so much fear for her life, but for the perspective that we might lose if we lose her. If there is no Dr. Stone, there will be no way for us to see. What happens in the global context is irrelevant. The film does not disrupt our emotional connection to the central character by dealing with any conflicts other than her internal conflict. Bad things simply happened (her daughter’s death, the debris impact) and now it is up to her to deal with them. In any case, the powerfulness of the Rd. protagonist’s rebirth (including the foetal position and the cutting of the umbilical cord) is due not only to the highly cohesive screenplay and the detailed technical rendering, but also to Sandra Bullock’s performance. Her “howling” at the Moon will remain in my memory as one of the most moving film moments of 2013 and, also thanks to Bullock, the purgative final shot, when the ordinary definitively becomes extraordinary, was also a powerful experience for me that goes beyond film (and beyond sensory perception). In my eyes, that moment, despite its content, elevated Gravity from the level of technical wonder and unique crisis simulator (not only in space) to an encounter with something otherworldly that cannot be described with words or conveyed in images. If we leave aside the theatrical reversals, we could even call it Art. 95%
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Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures
![Gravity - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/157/954/157954521_000006.jpg)
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