Well, it’s official. “Gravity” is, above and beyond, the best film you will see this year. It’s a bold statement with numerous other films set to come out over the next few months, but I stand by my words. “Gravity” is a rare film that is a visual treat, while also having so much heart and emotion.
Alfonso Cuaron, known for working on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Children of Men,” has set the bar for filmmaking sky-high this time around. With powerful performances from both Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as well as absolutely gorgeous cinematography, “Gravity” is a treat. And I just seem to have a bit of sweet tooth.
There’s not much that can be said without spoiling a bit of the suspense and fun, so I’ll spare the important details. Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is performing a check-up on some of the Shuttle Explorer’s systems and is trying to fix the kinks, so she’s able to send her data back to Earth. Matt Kowalski (Clooney) and Shariff (Paul Sharma) are messing around a bit. Oh, keep in mind, this is in space, which just doesn’t make anything easy at all. Kowalski is flying around on a jetpack, telling stories to the crew of Explorer and Mission Control (Ed Harris) when something serious comes up: the Russians shot a missile up at their own satellite, causing a storm of debris.
Initially thought to be minor, the storm of debris causes a chain reaction and hits other satellites, putting the Explorer in harms way. Things from here on out become complicated: Kowalski is trying his best to remain calm and collected while urging Dr. Stone to forget her work and detach from the arm she is connected to. Unfortunately, it’s too late; a large piece of debris comes and slices the arm off the ship with Dr. Stone unable to detach in time. Kowalski is urging her to detach as he’s losing sight of her, but once she detaches she accidentally projects herself further and further into space. So she’s left spinning, with oxygen running low and nowhere to go, but deeper into space.
“Gravity” lives or dies on the performance of Sandra Bullock as she spends the majority of the film on her own, and she truly doesn’t disappoint. This is, easily, the best performance of Bullock’s career. The key to this film was to have an actress who can express her thoughts without actually saying them, and Cuaron nailed it by choosing Bullock. Clooney, while not having nearly the same amount of screen time, excels with what he’s given and makes the role of Kulowski, which at the beginning seemed minor, a ton of depth and a whole ton of heart.
While the acting is important, both the cinematography of the film and the visual effects must be discussed. Emmanuel Lubezki brought this film to life with his vivid camera movements and his ability to make the most out of such tight shots. Tim Webber made everything feel so lifelike, and made the journey feel as if we were there. When looking at Earth from the perspective of space…there really is nothing more beautiful than that.
All in all, “Gravity” is as close to a perfect film as you could get. There’s no glaring weakness that could bring it down and nowadays that’s a rare feat. “Gravity” tackles some heavy themes, from life and death to being reborn to religion, it’s truly incredible what Cuaron is able to do. It’s also important to say that it’s essential to see Gravity in IMAX 3D, since for once it’s been used properly. Gravity is the must-see film of the year, possessing a little bit for everyone. You can expect to laugh, cry, and be in absolute awe of the universe brought to our eyes by Cuaron.
“Gravity” is now playing.
-Joshua Kaya
P.S. In case you missed it, check out our coverage of the “Gravity” New York Premiere:
http://youtu.be/fQ-sZu2kExk
