There is a temptation in filmmaking to create stories that
reflect the current state of society. Conventional filmmakers just want to
entertain the audience in a way they can understand while artistic types want
to hold a mirror up to society and say, “See! This is what you’ve become!” This
isn’t to say movies that provide a time capsule for film geeks to look back on
are without merit. Movies like The
Graduate, The Breakfast Club and The
Social Network define their respective generations in different ways and
provide a pretty good sense of American life and society. Other films strive to
be timeless classics; though their filmic style may eventually become dated,
their stories remain universal no matter when you sit down to watch them. Gravity falls into the latter category
in such a way that’s rarely seen in modern moviemaking.
Admittedly, it helps that Gravity is set in outer space. At the beginning of the film, the
audience is dropped in the middle of outer space and introduced to two
astronauts on opposite ends of their space careers: Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock)
is a medical engineer on her first mission in space while Matt Kowalski (George
Clooney) is a more seasoned astronaut who intends on retiring after the current
mission. Ryan and Matt are our only human glimpse into the world of Gravity as the astronauts finish repair
work on the Hubble telescope. Their mission is soon interrupted when they
receive word that a cluster of space debris is headed directly towards them.
Ryan nervously tries to finish her repair work as Matt repeatedly commands her
to abort the mission with increasing impatience. The peaceful stillness of
space is brutally interrupted as debris comes hurdling towards our main
characters, as well as the audience watching with 3D glasses.
Ryan becomes a hyperventilating mess as her analytical
routine is disturbed, leaving her panicked and unable to focus on getting back
to safety. Matt attempts to bring her back but even he is left at the mercy of
outer space and its forces. The vast, unpredictability of space becomes the
primary antagonist of the film and provides for an infinitely more terrifying
threat than any human ever could. Director Alfonso Cuarón lets his shots go on
for minutes on end, which manages to simultaneously cause more tension and
allow the scenes to play out in real time. Gravity
is only 91 minutes long but Cuarón immerses you in the film so much that it
feels like you’re on the brink of death with these characters with each passing
minute.
It’s virtually impossible not to feel for Ryan and Matt in
what feels like a 99 percent chance of death situation. It’s to the film’s
benefit that its characters are played by two of America’s biggest movie stars.
Bullock and Clooney are not necessarily the best actors of their generation,
but each of them has an undeniable every-person quality to them that easily
allows people from all walks of life to latch on to their respective presences.
They have their strengths and their weaknesses but they both possess a
likability that gives extra weight to seeing them in such a precarious
situation. Though Bullock in particular gives an Oscar-worthy performance in
this film, the distinctive personalities of both Ryan and Matt are not what
make the film great. Some could argue that the film doesn’t work if you don’t
care whether they live or die, and while this may be true, it soon becomes
clear that this is a story about the human spirit striving to live even when
the threat of death would make it so easy to just give up.
Sandra Bullock as Ryan Stone in Gravity |
Though Bullock and Clooney are undoubtedly huge stars, the
biggest, shiniest star in this film is Cuarón's visuals. Space has not felt so
unbearably lonely and terrifying since Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Gravity takes some of the gradual,
flightless shots of 2001 and uses
them to its advantage but it still feels like its own movie. The film also
manages to use 3D to its benefit, which is incredibly rare nowadays. The trick seems
to be that the 3D technology is not overly distracting like in most
blockbusters, which often use post-conversion and darken the screen so much
that you can hardly see what’s going on. The imagery of Ryan, Matt and the
various spacecraft pop out naturally against the blackness of space, giving the
illusion that you are right there with them. Cuarón uses space well (both in
the literal and artistic sense!), creating numerous shots that are destined to
be iconic in the history of film. The very last scene of the film is such a
beautifully rendered sequence that I hesitate to imagine any other film this
year being able to top it.
“Life in space is impossible,” a line of text reads at the
very beginning of the film. It is a stark warning about the 90 minutes that
will follow and mentally prepares you that the worst could happen at any
moment. Yet perhaps more than anything else, Gravity represents the primal ability to try to live anyway against
seemingly impossible odds.
Grade: A
MVP: Sandra Bullock
Awards Potential:
Best Picture
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Best Lead Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Grade: A
MVP: Sandra Bullock
Awards Potential:
Best Picture
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Best Lead Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
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