GRAVITY

2013 / Director. Alfonso Cuarón.

GRAVITY is one of the best cinema experiences I have ever had. In fact the last time I physically reacted to a movie like this was when I saw a re-release of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Its immense scope and graceful movement induced motion sickness and GRAVITY has done the same damn thing. Usually it's a negative reaction to become sick from a movie but in this case it comes part and parcel with the absolute exhilaration and breathlessness of the film. The story couldn't be any more simple. A crew of astronauts repairing the Hubble Telescope are hit by the debris of a destroyed Russian satellite. Only two of the crew survive and with the telescope obliterated, their only hope is to find their way to the International Space Station. Any other film which takes place entirely in the vast emptiness of space would put most people to sleep but director Alfonso Cuarón has crafted something astonishing. His story is about as gripping and compelling as any I've seen and it's one hell of a convincing delivery. I have read various reviews and responses to the film and am dumbfounded at the amount of naysayers. I guess it's a reflection of the cocky, know-it-all society we've become and anyone who goes to lengths to highlight the film's inaccuracies is forgetting the fact that this is just a movie. Such inaccuracies (including the physics of tears in zero gravity or the trajectory difference of the ISS from Hubble) are irrelevant to the story and are necessary to maintain the audience's attention and emotional connection. At the end of the day, for the most part, GRAVITY is one of the most awe inspiring and technically incredible science fiction films ever made. If anyone has ever doubted Sandra Bullock's talent then they need to see this. She carries the film and she's fantastic. George Clooney is solid too but as good as their performances are, they're secondary to the situation and grandeur of the film itself. If the studio didn't need drawcard names on the poster, the film would have been even more powerful with unknown performers. I was lucky enough to see the film at IMAX and it's hard to imagine seeing it any other way. The 3D is essential and handled so well and I hope that IMAX keep GRAVITY playing on rotation every few years. Owning it on Blu-Ray just won't cut it and so my recommendation is to go out and see it. Don't wait for the comfort of your own lounge room because you're not likely to embrace it. 

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