Gravity pulls a crowd

When I think of science fiction films, I often think of over-the-top effects, exaggerated action and dramatic music.

However, in Gravity the brilliance is that director Alfonso Cuarón doesn’t overdo it with these elements. He definitely embodies the saying ‘less is more’ unfortunately, the film doesn’t.

Imagine Sandra Bullock and George Clooney floating around space in silence for almost two hours and you have Gravity.

Although the storyline and script needed a lot of work, I think Cuarón was focused on allowing the audience to forget that they’re watching a movie and rather experience what these astronauts are going through 400-miles above Earth.

You duck when debris is coming towards them, you sway from side-to-side when they do and you feel just as nauseous as them when they spin out of control … be prepared to be transported into space.

The visuals are stunning and the effects are spot on – but, 50 minutes in, you get over the cosmic setting and you’re left waiting for the next 40 predictable minutes to go by as fast as possible … but they don’t. ‘In space no one can hear you scream’ and it’s a shame really, because at one point that’s all I wanted to do.

The film doesn’t take long to get into the action. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a scientist turned NASA engineer who is on her first mission to repair the Hubble telescope, alongside veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) and Sharif, who is never seen throughout the film.
 
In a smooth and long shot, where the camera zooms around space following the three astronauts, you experience exactly how the pace of the film is going to pan out.

Five minutes in and the three astronauts fall to two. The Russians blow up their own satellite and accidentally destroy the many others orbiting in space.

Debris is now coming towards them, already having killed Sharif, leaving them to get back to Earth as soon as possible. However, the debris has destroyed their spaceship so they must find another way back home.

Despite the obvious ‘Houston we have a problem’ line, the sob stories you hear along the way and the desperate attempts to produce emotional moments, the film has the potential to be one of the best movies of the year.

Eventually, Stone and Kowalski get separated and the audience is left watching Bullock pour out her emotions.
 
She was a great choice as the leading actress in this movie. As a fan, I didn’t mind watching her on screen for 90 minutes but if you generally do not appreciate her work, this is not the movie for you.

She adds a bit of wit to her uptight character and puts into perspective the unbelievable fear anyone in her position must be going through.

Clooney disappears halfway through the film, which is a shame because if Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear were real, he would be Matt Kowalski. The role fits him like a glove and he adds a little bit of humour to the predominantly serious script.

However, what this movie can take pride in isn’t the acting, but the unique and unforgettable movie experience.
 
The filming techniques are unequaled and the visual effects are imaginatively thrilling. There are only a few movies that have produced this experience and it is something that will allow this film to succeed at the box office.

Overall, I recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates cinematic brilliance.

Gravity may not be the perfect film, but it is the next best thing to actually being in space. Had the studio made it 30 minutes shorter and hired a new scriptwriter it could have also been the best thing to come out of Hollywood in decades.

* Showing in Cineco, Saar, Seef II, Al Jazeera