Review: Gravity

Warner Bros.

Ever since 2006's Children of Men, I've been on board with anything director Alfonso Cuaron does. Coupled with Emmanuel Lubezki's (a childhood friend of Cuaron's) amazing cinematography (using some jaw-dropping long-takes and handheld camera), Cuaron proved himself a master of directing suspenseful action but able to keep a hold of the humanity and depth of the characters. The only problem was that was back in 2006. Cuaron didn't make any feature film again till rumor of a project related to space or sci-fi of some sort surfaced back in 2011, and of course, now in 2013 we finally get Cuaron's next film, Gravity.

Early reports said that some serious special effects and 3D work were going to be involved in this project. And then it became known that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were going to be the only stars of the film as astronauts involved in a space shuttle catastrophe who are launched, adrift, into space (basically a living nightmare for a lot of people right up there with drowning). A couple of things become apparent immediately. One, only two actors means more pressure on the actors and the script to keep the audience emotionally invested in the characters beyond just the action. Two, a whole host of potential factual inaccuracies as far as space stuff goes. Three, will the 3D work?

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All I can say is that 1 and 3 definitely turned out more than alright. I heard that Neil Degrasse Tyson posted something online about all the scientific inaccuracies present in the film so 2 probably isn't true, but honestly, who cares? Because this is just too cool to watch. And it becomes more than just watching. I went all in with this one and went to see it in IMAX 3D, and I don't regret the extra expense. The bigger screen and the phenomenal special effects and 3D really do make you feel like you're in the movie at some points. And the 3D makes the pieces of destroyed space shuttle flying at the screen even more effective and I definitely flinched a couple of times. The greater depth of field and range of motion that the 3D allows does wonders for the intensity of the film and is probably the best use of 3D I have seen in a film thus far.

Warner Bros.

Once again, Lubezki (one of my favorite cinematographers next to Roger Deakins) teams up with Cuaron to provide camera techniques that mesh perfectly with the action. The first sequence of the film (I'm not sure how long it lasts) is one take (or it appears to be) and most of the film is done in very long takes which is true to Lubezki and Cuaron's style. The POV of the camera appears to float around the characters as they climb across the space stations and helps to give a feeling of the 0 G's the characters are supposed to be experiencing. It's a slightly uncomfortable but awesome feeling. Lubezki also does a lot of POV from the characters themselves, from inside their space-suits, and it is some of the best POV shots I have ever seen. As Ryan (Bullock) struggles to climb her way across a space station to reach the air-lock, we see the whole thing from her POV and it makes such sequences even more intense. Most of all, the shots of the various space ships and stations getting torn to pieces by space-debris are amazing. And the special effects used to make the different views of the earth from space are just too gorgeous. In all, it's a beautiful film to watch.

And when it comes to the characters, Cuaron and co-writer Jonas Cuaron (his son) do a fantastic job. Clooney does remain a bit thin as far as depth goes, but that doesn't matter as much because the real focus is on Bullock's character. She will almost definitely get nominated for an Oscar. It is true that she spends a lot of the film just acting desperate and scared while she flies around, out of control in space. At first I wasn't sure I was on board with all of the buzz about her performance, but then there is one particular sequence towards the end where she gives a sort of monologue. I won't divulge the details of it because it could give some spoilers, but I will say that this short scene convinced me of her great performance and sealed the deal on a powerful, human message at the heart of the film.

Warner Bros.

So it wasn't all just impressive special effects and 3D. Gravity proved to be an emotionally and visually powerful film that also proves, once again, that Cuaron is indeed a visionary. I hope that he gets nominated for directing, Lubezki for cinematography, and Bullock for acting. There's not going to be any contest over special effects this year though because Gravity already has that one in the bag. I'm guessing Gravity will also snag a best picture nomination as well. This is proving to be a strong Fall/Winter for movies. Can't wait to see what 12 Years a Slave, The Counselor, and others have in store! In the meantime, go see Gravity in IMAX 3D or on the biggest screen possible in 3D!