Gravity

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Gravity.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

Written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón.

Review #231

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

Run Time: 90 min

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Cast

Sandra Bullock...Ryan Stone

George Clooney...Matt Kowalski

Ed Harris...Mission Control (voice)

The man pictured above is Alfonso Cuarón and he is a GENIUS! A certified GENIUS! The man has always been a phenomenal story teller with a filmography that speaks for itself. Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the best of the series) and Children of Men are his claims to fame. Cuarón combines razor sharp writing with stunning visuals and camera work. Not to mention dramatic and profound performances from his cast. Every film he's made has been better than his last.

Gravity is by far his best film and right now my pick for BEST FILM OF THE YEAR!

Plot
A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. 

There's really nothing to spoil for this review with exception to the ending. Gravity pretty much explains itself from the massive promotional campaign that was put out. The big question to ask was how in the world were these people going to get out of this unbelievable situation.The biggest question asked at the end of this film is the same one you ask a magician after a trick is performed.

How did they do that?

Gravity is a visual MARVEL in every conceivable way. This is normally a pet peeve of mine but this is the exception to the rule. S.O.S doesn't apply here. In fact the style is what makes this film so amazing to behold. One aspect of Cuarón's work that I truly admire is his penchant for tracking shots. He used them expertly in Children of Men in two specific scenes.

The first coming when Clive Owen's character escapes with the pregnant girl and drives away from the compound. The escape and subsequent chase was done at least by my eyes in one take and it was a tense and masterful sequence.

The second one was when Owen was guiding the pregnant girl through this unreal gun battle in the middle of a city. The camera follows them as they were dodging bullets and avoiding detection. All while the girl was going into labor.

Just unreal stuff.

The other factor that made those scenes so powerful was the countless waves of emotions you felt while watching them. Your soul pretty much ran the gamut. Fear, tension, exhilaration, relief. Cuarón knew exactly what buttons to push and when to push them. The end result was a rich movie going experience.

Gravity does the exact same thing here only BETTER!

As previously mentioned, the reason for the crew to be in space is irrelevant but watching this film makes you feel like your in space. This is in large part to the incredible cinematography and visual FX. When the accident takes place and both Clooney and Bullock are drifting away, Cuarón finds a way to put you in that moment through some very intricate camera moves and changes of P.O.V. Several times the scene changes the perspective of what you're seeing by going into a first person view of inside Bullock's helmet. Seeing what she's seeing while spinning and floating away or watching her lunge for any part of the ship or structure to keep her from completely floating away was utterly terrifying.

All of this is magnified if seen in 3D. I know you guys have read me say that 3D is the bane of my cinema existence, but I bit the bullet and saw it in IMAX 3D and it was WORTH EVERY PENNY! Cuarón uses the technology better than Cameron used it in Avatar. The biggest advantage Cuarón had compared to Cameron was simply the realistic world his film was set in. Now some of the aspects of the film are over the top and not plausible. That being said, the world Gravity takes place in is real.

Pandora doesn't exist.

This helps the film's cause when the S#@T goes down. You can believe a scenario like this happening. The question asked next is how do they survive? Of course I'm not telling but I will say that there are aspects of this film that I didn't see coming that once again adds to the drama and intrigue. Cuarón finds a way to pack a ton of emotion and action in a very simple story. It's simply complex. Combined with absolutely stunning visuals and camerawork you have yourself the runaway hit it has become.

If there is one flaw with the film it's the simple reality that as you're watching it, you can get caught up in the "how did they do that" mindset. Which in turn causes you to lose a lot of the energy and power the film gives you. This would be a damaging blow to other films but Cuarón does such a great job of reeling you back in from the wonder and amazement he provides your eyes with the gripping truth that these people are FU@%ED and it will take a miracle to get them home. Of course I had to know so I looked up articles and interviews on the making of this film and came across one from the NY Daily News that details one of the contraptions created to showcase some of the visuals that take your senses on a hell of a ride.

Cuarón calls it the "Light Box" and it contains 4,096 LED light bulbs. Add a few rigs and cranes and you have Clooney and Bullock in outer space. I"m sure there's a few other tricks to the trade but regardless, Gravity is a sight to behold for all of your senses. Despite all this talk about the orgasm for the eyes this film is. Gravity hits you in other areas. The film begins with a title page that gives you the basic facts about outer space. No oxygen and no sound. Why is that so important besides the obvious?

It's a heads up for the scenes like this.

When the space station and shuttles are destroyed you don't hear a thing. That was in a word AWESOME! Not hearing the mass chaos and carnage enhanced the tension and fear you felt as these astronauts were trying to survive the countless waves of debris. Not to mention trying to hang on for dear life. In some cases a film would think sound designing these scenes would give them punch and power. They would be dead wrong. Cuarón hits the nail on the head here because he's not giving you what you would see or hear, he's giving you what THEY would see or hear/not hear. That's the important thing to remember when seeing this film. It's at times literally from the point of view of the people involved in the story. Cuarón also uses a very haunting score to inspire fear and tension in the audience.

Gravity is a scary film and should not be taken lightly.

The film isn't perfect. There are some very over the top aspects to navigate through but you'd have to be a rocket scientist to figure them out. That ladies and gents is the mark of a great film. It's a scenario with realistic properties yet unrealistic results and YOU....DON'T....CARE! Cuarón hit another one out of the park.

This one's got some hardware coming it's way for sure!

On the 5 star scale. Gravity gets the full house. 5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"