Gravity Review

Easily the most welcome news in movies this fall has been the success of Gravity, the latest from Children of Men director Alfonso Cuaron.  It’s been discussed to death how much mainstream Hollywood is relying on making nearly everything a franchise—glutting cineplexes with remakes, sequels, prequels, reboots etc.  It doesn’t help when originals like Pacific Rim and Elysium fail to live up to (admittedly) high expectations.  To see Gravity not only succeed but become a genuine hit and have some genuine Oscar buzz is a welcome refreshment for a dreary movie year.

It’s also great to see a film that is somewhat unorthodox do so well.  The cast, aside from a faceless extra and some voice actors, is only two people, seasoned veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and emotionally fragile newbie Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock).  The two are working on a space station when space debris destroys their vessel, kills their crew mates, and leaves them adrift in space with limited oxygen and another space station a considerable distance away.  On top of all that, they have to get there before the debris makes another round as it circles the earth.  The destruction, sold brilliantly in easily the best trailers of the year, gives us stakes that couldn’t possibly be higher.  I know a few people who decided not to see the film because the trailers were a little too effective in their selling.

It can be easy to forget how simple the storyline is thanks to the magnificent spectacle on screen.  The film is beautiful to look at; it’s the most realistic space cinematography ever shot for a film not actually shot in space (this film is a lock for most of the technical Oscars).  Along with the likes of Hugo, Avatar and Life of Pi, Gravity utilizes 3D in a way where it’s part of the storytelling and helps make it feel all the more real.  Cuaron’s penchant for long takes is in full effect from the opening 17 minute long shot, submerging us in the world and allowing the 3D to be most effective.  The long takes throughout are welcome amongst rapid fire editing that bogs down many action films.  I will echo the statement made by the legion of this film’s fans: see it on as big a screen as possible and in 3D.  It made me a little seasick, but it was worth it.

What really struck me were the themes of perseverance.  The end of the world has been a popular topic for a lot of films lately, not to mention all the films that have used 9/11-esque imagery to reinforce how high the stakes are.  However, it can lead to a lot of tough films to sit through, especially ones generally considered lightweight popcorn.  Gravity has both emotional devastation that sets up Ryan’s mindset going in and the physical devastation that is the catalyst for the film’s plot—albeit on a smaller scale than most of this summer’s blockbusters, but it never forgets how surviving these ordeals make us stronger.  Rebirth is a major theme, with a lot of womb imagery throughout.  And I think that feeling is one of the reasons why Gravity has been so successful.  The well-executed effects and visuals are amazing to look at, but the story at the center of it is simple and resounding.  While most of us won’t be in a scenario as perilous as the one in the film, we all at some point will find ourselves adrift after a disaster and we grapple feelings of hopeless after such a loss, but we have to survive because we have to move on, to find that other station.

Grade: A

Observations (SPOILER ALERT)!

*I’m not the first to say so, but Clooney really looks like Buzz Lightyear.

*I definitely wasn’t expecting Clooney to die that early on in the film, and it basically becomes a one woman show for Bullock, likely one that’ll get her a few award nominations.  It is really her story from the beginning, as she is the one who is less experienced in space travel and her feelings about losing her child inform her motivations.  Also, losing the calm and collected veteran raises the stakes even higher.

*The effects are superb, from the realistic space setting, to the way the camera goes into their suits during some long takes to give us a POV shot without cutting.  True great effects are often the ones you never notice, but there is that other group of great effects that work like a great magic trick, leaving us wondering “how did they do that”.

*The corpse popping up in the wreckage of their shuttle was clearly an homage to Jaws right?

*There are a few lines of dialogue, like Ryan mentioning she hates space after an encounter with the debris, that don’t quite work in the film.  I see they were trying for some comic relief, but they didn’t land.  This is a minor qualm though.

*Another great thing about the film: 91 minute runtime.  No bloat to be seen.