Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity
Disclaimer: While this review is mostly spoiler-free, it is perhaps best to go into the film with as little expectation as possible, therefore I recommend not reading this until after a viewing, unless you still need convincing, in which case go ahead.
I went to my local cinema today and saw Gravity in 3D, sadly it was over-dubbed in Spanish and so I don’t quite have a full feel of the actor’s performances until I find this movie in English, but it was more than I could have possibly hoped for it to be. It’s visually breath-taking and intensely horrifying at times, the active scenes of destruction are even tenser with Clooney and especially Bullock’s characters knowing that too many false moves could land them drifting endlessly out into the lone expanse of Space. The film does a wonderful job of pacing the action scenes with the calm, but unnerving scenes of absolute silence and loneliness, it never relies too much on explosions and collisions to be tacky and it never relies too much on emotional reflection to be cheesy or tedious, it creates a perfect balance between the two to really uncover the unforgiving nature of life outside of the atmosphere right down to it’s deepest, most frightening moments. Sandra Bullock steals this movie, she’s had more than her fair share of bombs in the past, but she suits the character of Ryan Stone so well that it becomes consistently better with each passing evolution of her fall into hopelessness and desperation, she is easily the ringleader of this film and her performance was incredible.
This film isn’t quite directed in the same style as something like 2001, which was chock full of grand metaphors and introspective yet enigmatic reflections on life, but is a much more physical and immediately (I hesitate to say superficial because it implies a sense of negativity that I do not wish to associate with the film, yet I cannot draw on a more fitting word as of yet) superficial aspect of detailing the story and the characters and how they react to the situations they find themselves in. Although there is one scene in particular that I shall not go into too much for fear of spoiling, there is a kind of metaphorical “re-birth” of Bullock’s character (shown fairly obviously by the way the scene is shot) that conveys a change in her behaviour from before to what it becomes afterwards, and while being short and rather humble, I was awe-stricken and nearly forced to tears (I eventually did cry, it gets progressively harder not to cry).
The score is excellent, with grand orchestral movements churning up for the most tense of scenes and a haunting melody for the calmer, creepier ones. Steven Price did a wonderful job with the score and it was immeasurably pleasing to see it heighten the tension even beyond what Cuaron had already made of it.
But perhaps the best thing about this film is the cinematography, the way the film is shot from beginning to end is masterful and ingenious beyond what I may have expected. Showing both the beauty of the Earth below in a fantastical and inspiring slew of panning shots and stationary visor/window views, but contrasting that with the fear and horror of Stone as she realises the possibility of being taken in forever by the cold, dark swathe of the Universe and watching everything she has ever come to know drift away, far beyond her reach. I enjoy that Cuaron never allows the visuals to overcome the substance of the film, for his action scenes to never take away from the rich development of the characters is endlessly refreshing and one of the things I treasure most about Gravity.
This is one of the most beautifully shot Space films I’ve ever seen, it may be the most beautifully shot Space film I’ve ever seen, and it is undoubtedly among the best, Cuaron is a visionary and here he has created an undeniable masterpiece. I recommend everybody reading this to leave behind their inhibitions and scepticism as to how well a story like this could function, it will amaze you beyond what you could have ever imagined. It broke me, it showed to me the feeble nature of humanity, but also it’s miraculous drive to overcome in the most demoralising of situations, and the sacrifices that are made to regain even a sense that there may be a possibility of flourishing and returning from the brink of despair. It is my single most favourite film of the year, and quite possibly my favourite that I’ve seen in a very long time. Prior situations forced me to take a break from cinema viewing for a while, but I could have not hoped for a better film to return to.
