GRAVITY (2013)

RATED- PG-13
RUN TIME- 91 MINS
WRITER(S)- Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron 
STARRING- Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris
DIRECTOR- Alfonso Cuaron 



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after a catastrophe destroys their shuttle and leaves them adrift in orbit.




Talk about a movie that's been getting a lot of hype! It seems everywhere you go it's 'Gravity' this and 'Gravity' that. Whenever there's a movie going around like this there's two kinds of crowds: those who get the hype and agree with it, and those who don't get it and say it's overrated. Usually I find myself in the latter crowd. Usually films that get critical praise give me migraines because they're so dull and boring. I was hoping that was not the case with this film.

I knew that I'd eventually get around to seeing it, but I didn't really feel a rush. It was my fiance who made me feel the rush and urgency to see it. So, being the awesome fiance that I am, I brought it home as a surprise gift for her (on Blu-Ray of course). We pretty much popped it in the player before the blu-ray case was even opened (laugh). And I was actually really satisfied with the outcome, and I can say now that I do agree with the hype it's getting. It's just that good!

Although George Clooney has a minimal part, he makes his presence felt. And Sandra Bullock does a great job of supporting the film by herself. Though I would never have considered her for a best actress in this role because of all the cgi used, she does an amazing job! Very sincere character that clicks with the audience. She's scared and out of her element, same as everyone else who isn't experienced in her situation. For 90 minutes we watch her fight tooth and nail, with everything she's got, to survive being alone in space and make it back home in one piece.

What I didn't expect about this film was how non-stop it is. I had gone in expecting to watch Sandra float around in space for God knows how long, and what I got is a blistering outburst of chaos and special effects that are top-notch. The tension only eases up momentarily until a new problem arises. I said to my friend, "it's like the worst day you could possibly have, only it's happening in space" and that's the best way I can sum it up. I didn't expect it to be one disaster after another, but damn if it didn't keep me on my toes!

Towards the end of the film we get some heart to heart time with Bullock's character, Ryan Stone, who's still tormented by the death of her young daughter. She's wasted a lot of time in her life as of late due to being caught up in past agonies. And now that she has nothing and no one, she has a chance to either make a new life for herself and start anew, or die trying. Her performance at the end is gut wrenching, and had me hoping for the best for her, but i was uncertain it would play out that way.

I was also surprised by how short the movie is! Here I am expecting an over two hour long movie, and it's only 91 mins! That just goes to show you how much momentum the film has, because a lot happens in a short amount of time. It's an avalanche of disaster, and you're a witness to it. I love it!

After watching the bonus features, I came to understand how exactly it isn't a completely accurate film. And how some things had to be altered in order to make it work for the movie. Such things do lessen a movie for me because if you're not based in reality then your based in fantasy. And if you're based in fantasy you're not believable. This film attempts to blend the lines in order to allow cop-outs, such as having suits with made up zippers for easy removal.

And there's other small things, like the fact that the director Alfonso Cuaron threw in a quick shot in George Clooney's helmet reflection of the camera crew. Such little jokes go wasted on me. This film would have been better off staying as close to reality as possible, instead of looking for easy shortcuts and funny little inside jokes being riddled within.

So ultimately I absolutely loved the movie, but that doesn't take away from my disappointment towards some of the nonsense in it. It has a good leading actress who knows how to carry a film, and it's got a good story. Debris in space is no joke, and this film is an attempt to make more people aware of how polluted our solar system is becoming. I like the message, and I like the movie.