Gravity is a
cinematic achievement. There’s no doubt about that. From
the earth seen from
space vistas to weightless debris, it’s a stunning film to watch. And I’ll just
chime in here with each and every critic I read thus far in saying that seeing
this on a small screen is unimaginable. I saw it in 3D and on an I-Max screen
and it was incredible. Now as far as 3D goes it’s nowhere near the beauty that “Life
of Pi” had going for it, but there’s only so much you can do in the emptiness
of space, but still, the teardrop that seem to float out above about row three
was very effective. 
So with all this visual marvels is there story here? I say ‘yes’,
if the story you’re looking for is simply survival of getting from point A to B
to C. I read one review that said trying to give Sandra Bullock’s character
some melodramatic back-story was its only flaw. Now I wouldn’t go that far, and
I’d even say the drive and strength that her character musters is essential and
all part an incredible performance (a “performance of a lifetime” as Peter Travers in Rolling Stone points out) of SandraBullock.
Now I’d heard this was something of a “chamber theater piece”
meaning simplistic sets and all dialog between two people, in a survival
setting, something like “Open Water” where the whole movie is just two people
talking. Well ***spoiler alert*** GeorgeClooney’s role is small. But, then again, what he does with that small role
is big. His veteran astronaut, Matt Kowalsky, playboy-type, playfully playing,
easing the tension, really plays well against the rookie virgin voyage of
Sandra’s Ryan Stone. And this guardian role
effectively tethers them together literally and figuratively before and after
the initial disaster when a Russian satellite destructs and sends debris
hurtling towards them.
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| Sandra Bullock George Clooney |
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| Sandra Bullock |
I had a conversation talking about the back story and how
there maybe could have been a flashback to before the mission and other
elaborate storytelling devices, but I pointed out how from the very beginning with
the opening shot: an amazing 13 minute floating camera that slowly pans, dips,
and follows from one crew member to the next, puts you right in the action and
feel of those astronauts. And then all the way to the end of the movie it’s
almost told in real-time… only minutes of oxygen, only minutes of orbit, before
burning in the atmosphere, and so on. You are almost literally sitting along
side for the entire ride. To do anything else, like a flashback, would have
broken this spell.
So some classic movies may have intricate plots, with twist
and turns and in depth character studies etc.. but this too has an character
arch of nauseous rookie to triumphant survivor and with every just missed grab of something to hold
onto, there’s also scenes of ‘if she didn’t hold on to that hatch flying open
she be gone’, that are just as entertaining, and with all it’s stunning visuals
of the absolute vastness of space the director Alfonso Cuarón keeps this story
grounded(pun intended) in a very human story.
In conclusion, I just want to add that without even
realizing it, I really am quite the admirer of this director’s work . Only now
am I realizing the diverse range of films I’ve seen are all done by the same
guy. I even probably agree with Peter
Travers that the best of the Harry Potter movies The Prisoner of Azkaban was done by him. Plus I have seen his
native language movie the coming of age Y Tu Mamá También and
one of my all-time favorite films Children of Men. And now adding this stunning achievement makes for quite a résumé.
