Review: Gravity

[Note to reader: It is best to watch the film without knowing that much, if anything, about it. So, Avoid reading my review (or any other) before watching the film, even though there are no spoilers ahead...]


Going into a film with high expectations does not often end well. What you usually get is a feeling of being underwhelmed; one of underlying disappointment that it did not live up to the hype. I am glad to say that this is anything but the case when talking about Gravity - Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón's mesmerising space spectacle. It is breathtaking in every sense of the word.

The film opens with the caption "Life in space is impossible." Sure, there is no oxygen to breath, no water to drink; just the vast vacuum of space, filled with huge areas of nothingness that populate the vastness of the cosmos. This, ladies and gentlemen, is our setting and for the next 90 minutes we are treated to the realities of what makes residing 375 miles above Earth so unforgiving.

Gravity is centred around two astronauts. The first is the 'bus driver' (or Captain of the space shuttle to you and me) Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), a veteran astronaut on his final mission who is enjoying his last experience out in the void and hoping that he breaks the record for the longest space walk while out there. Alongside him is Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a medical engineer who is feeling tense and a bit queasy at being out on her first NASA journey (and space walk), and who has just completed six months worth of specialist NASA training to attach a new high-tech scanning device to the Hubble Telescope.

Whilst working on the Hubble Telescope, they and their space shuttle are hit by shrapnel like debris from a accident that occurred at a Russian satellite. Thus ensues the crux of the film: the race for survival of two astronauts when disaster occurs in the most inhospitable of places. From this and other major setbacks, they must try to find a way to safety - to survive. In reality, though, this is a film which has more to do with choosing to live instead of just trying to survive; and whether we have the fortitude to want to live, or not.




Unlike that of rookie astronaut Stone, flustered and in a state of panic when she is faced with the possibility of being lost adrift in space, Cuarón handles the entire film with poise and confidence - illustrated immediately with the opening shot of the film. This prologue, which is an unbroken 13 minute sequence before the first cut is made to another camera, sets up the film and throws us into the astronauts' shoes; leaving us little time to gasp for air in what is a thrilling start, which hardly ever lets up thereafter.

There is no doubt that the 7 years it has taken the director to make Gravity have been spent figuring out ways to make the film as real as possible and finding out ways to put the audience right into the action (which includes some awe inducing point of view shots and sequences that make you feel like you are an astronaut). We are given incredible vantages of the action, and with (actual) gravity not playing a part in space, it has allowed Cuarón and his long-time collaborator and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki no restrictions in the free flowing movement of the camera and the orchestration of the entire film. In essence, this gives the feeling that we are out with Stone and Kowalsky in zero gravity. Much like what Scorsese did in Raging Bull in the fight scenes with De Niro, where the camera weaved in and out to mimic the movements that boxers make, Cuarón allows the camera to move everywhere and anywhere to thrust the audience into space. And the imagination needed to map out such long sequences is astonishing to say the least.

As there is no sound in space, Steven Price's score takes on an important role in the tone of the film: to build tension and to double as sound FX (of a sort). Building on the themes of the film, such as confusion, fear, isolation and hope, Price incorporates ethereal sounds and rousing choruses in accordance. It is for all intensive purposes a rounding success. In moments when something bad is happening, to a monologue where the astronauts talk "in the blind" - just incase anyone from Houston is listening when radio transmission from Earth is lost - the score reflects the action on the screen and Cuarón's vision, without overbearing the film.

And what of a film that so far has only been spoken about for its technical achievements and visual majesty? Well, the story does more than enough to emotionally invest you into caring for Stone. Her outlook on life is particularly revealing in one exchange, which goes on to illustrate her withdrawn personality: she will miss the quietness of space once they return to Earth, while Kowalski will miss the view of the sun rising. It is telling that there are unresolved feelings from the past that have been bottled up for too long, which could easily spill out if something 'major' were to happen. Her back story is one that helps explain her disposition to being the nervous, lonely and somewhat introverted character that is hinted at at the beginning; it is in stark contrast to Kowalsky.

For a film that always has the tension running high, as it is a story where the protagonists are on a race against time to survive (oxygen is not infinite in space, folks), it still allows time for quieter, more subtler and emotional moments. In one moment in particular, Clooney, playing Kowalsky as we picture what Clooney must be like in real life - cocksure, charming, with an abundance of charisma -  really does knock a scene out of the park with a warm touch of advice to a troubled Stone.

However, this film is Sandra Bullock's, putting in what must be a career best performance. She gives us everything: physicality, emotional vulnerability, mental fortitude and growth. But, I think it is because she plays someone that we can all empathise and familiarise with that comes across and strikes a chord with us. She is an ordinary person that has been put into an extraordinary situation.

Sandra Bullock's Dr. Ryan Stone

Gravity is an emotional ride. Not in a long time have I watched a film that gave me a lump in the throat on multiple occasions throughout; that welled up a tear in my eye because of its beauty; or something that made me gasp in awe at the spectacle. It is a film that finds time for these moments. It is a character piece set in a place where humans are out of place.

At the beginning of this review, I quoted Alfonso Cuarón's line that "Life in space is impossible." After seeing Gravity, it has been made abundantly clear to me that life in space is possible; with will, determination to survive and a bit of vodka.

Breathless? I sure am.

THE VERDICT

Gravity should be seen on the biggest screen possible and, for once, the 3D is worth it. It is probably the best use of the medium on film to date (along with Avatar) and doesn't reduce the brightness of the picture (which is usually the case). The 3D works perfectly with where the film is set and how the camera moves. You'll have seen nothing like this, so if you can, watch it in IMAX 3D.

It is a visually stunning and unforgettable experience, from a master craftsman who seems to be at ease with the tools at his disposal. Alfonso Cuarón has pushed the envelope for what is possible in film and it should not be missed. Go and watch it, and take as many people as you can along with you. James Cameron sums it up well: "Gravity is the best space film ever made".

RATING  *****  Masterpiece