Review: Gravity

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★★

With so many movies opening every year – and an increasing amount of those films being remakes, reboots, sequels and franchise installments – its easy to see why so many people have become disillusioned with the state of cinema. The creative minds are migrating to television, and the studios are too hung up on the business side of filmmaking. What makes money these days? Comic book heroes, sequels to films that performed well during their initial run and remakes of films that weren’t even worthy of the celluloid on which they were originally filmed.

Yet, no one seems to embrace original ideas when they come around. That’s because original ideas don’t always appear that original in advertisements. Filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón knows this. When it came time for him to make his latest film, “Gravity”, he needed to innovate in order to give audiences something they really have never seen before. The end product is something spectacular and truly original that will forever change filmmaking and the entire movie going experience.

In “Gravity”, astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) is on his final mission into space to assist in the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. Making her first trip into orbit is biomedical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock). While working on the Hubble, they’re alerted by Mission Control in Houston that the Russians have test fired and anti-satellite missile into space. While the missile does what its intended to do, the debris from the satellite sets off a chain reaction of destruction, destroying everything around it. A debris field forms and starts racing around the earth.

The space shuttle is hit with debris and it’s destroyed leaving Kowalski and Stone stranded in orbit with no ride home. Not only that, but all communication satellites have been destroyed leaving no contact between Houston and the astronauts. Stone is left tumbling for several minutes until Kowalski finds her. He tethers them together and using his Manned Maneuvering Unit thruster pack, they make their way to the International Space Station hoping to use the Soyuz capsule on board in an effort to return home. Kowalski estimates they only have 90 minutes before the debris field completes its orbit of earth and comes back around to them.

What director Alfonso Cuarón has accomplished with “Gravity” is nothing short of spectacular. With this one film, Cuarón has single handily done away with the old confines of cinema, and has shown us how many endless possibilities this art has. In this current age, when films continue to rehash old ideas or are nothing more than franchise installments, “Gravity” comes along and puts all other filmmakers and studios on watch. It is the most innovative film to come along in years.

This is hardly Cuarón’s first time showing his innovative skillset; he was also the director of the 2006 sci-fi masterpiece “Children of Men” which showcased numerous sequences of long single-take shots. The shots last several minutes during highly choreographed action scenes. They’re not all done in one take, but everything is seamlessly integrated using the cameras, the film editing and CGI to make it look like one solid shot.

This has become Cuarón’s signature style. Not only does he bring that style into “Gravity”, he improves on it. There has been much study given to the initial shots in films, and the first shot in “Gravity” will be discussed and studied for years. By the time Cuarón makes his first cut, almost twenty minutes of screen time has ticked by and the second act has begun. It will also be the first time you’ve taken a breath since the film started.

This is the most visually striking and beautifully photographed film in this age of digital and 3D movies. There are more than enough movies opening these days that are unnecessarily presented in 3D. “Gravity” uses the possibilities of 3D technology to enhance the experience. There hasn’t been a better looking film since 3D became a big part of the movie going experience.

While a lot of the photography comes from visual effects, there is still a great deal of actual cinematography, courtesy of Emmanuel Lubezki who has worked with Cuarón before. Lubezki’s photography is integrated with massive amounts of visual effects. Combine that with the 3D and you truly feel that you’re not just watching this film, you’re right up there with them. This isn’t just a film; it’s an experience.

Cuarón wrote this film with his eldest son Jonás. While there may be a need to suspend your disbelief, this isn’t a film that’s supposed to be technically accurate. The screenplay is more about survival and trying to make it home. We’ve seen that particular story line numerous times before. Originality doesn’t come just from the storyline, but it also comes from setting. It would be terrifying to be stranded in any isolated area, but outer space? That’s unimaginable, except for Cuarón.

The tension created by this screenplay is unmatched. It’s only 90 minutes, yet its one tense moment after another for the entire duration. Even if you have a hard time empathizing with astronauts (since, lets be honest, how many of us have been – or will ever go – into space), the film still carries enough tension that could cause you to gnaw your fingernails right off.

Bullock is sensational in this role. It’s a film she does largely by herself and at times with very little dialogue. She shows us her fear and her isolation by the look in her eyes and her body language. She’s had many great roles in her career, but this might be her best. The screenplay gives us a little of her character’s backstory which helps to make her more relatable. That’s an attempt to bring out empathy toward characters in a profession and a setting none of us will ever see. Even without that backstory, Bullock still sells her character to the audience and pulls off this very challenging roll with great ease.

“Gravity” is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a film that demands to be seen in 3D and on the largest screen possible. It transcends a typical movie going experience and takes you on a breathless and pulse pounding journey you’re sure to never forget. How “Gravity” will change filmmaking remains to be seen, but Cuarón has made sure something will be changing.