The camera fades in to a picturesque view of Earth. From the
distance, an astronaut slowly approaches, floating through space towards the
viewer. He begins to move towards a spacecraft, where two other astronauts are
working. They talk to mission control, laugh about former flames, and float
through space as if nothing else matters. Suddenly, mission control warns them
of an impending doom: a debris cloud is hurtling towards them, and in minutes
they could be decimated. The astronauts try to break free, but they lose
contact with mission control, and the debris flies towards them with ferocity.
One of the astronauts becomes unattached, and spins uncontrollably towards the
distance, and…
Did I mention that the movie just now cut? And that the sequence is a 15-minute, continuous
tracking shot, the longest ever done in 3-D?
Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is the most immersive cinematic
experience in the better part of a decade. It’s a roller coaster ride of a film
that will literally leave you breathless, and demands that you see it on the
biggest screen possible.
Filled with spectacular visual effects and one-of-a-kind
cinematography, Gravity took four
years to produce- and for good reason. It effectively redefines cinematic
technology, and will remind viewers of the true magic of the movies.
There are special effects and camera movements in the film that I
cannot even begin to explain; there will be film veterans who have no idea how Cuarón pulled off some of these tricks. As just an
example, in one continuously moving shot (without cuts, or breaks in the film),
the camera moves close to outside an astronaut’s helmet, watches her panic to the
situation, then suddenly moves inside
of the helmet, without ever cutting. The camera goes through a physical object. Absolutely mind boggling cinematography.
Sandra Bullock gives arguably the best performance of her
career as Ryan Stone, a rookie astronaut who’s trying to get through her first
space mission in one piece. George Clooney plays the only other real character of
note in the picture, a veteran space pilot who lives for adventure and
provides comic relief. They each manage to give genuine physical and emotional
performances, despite spending the entire picture in zero gravity. Both are
very plausible candidates for acting Oscars.
The editing is crisp and very efficient; unlike most other
Hollywood productions of today, Gravity
clocks in at just over an hour-and-a-half. It keeps you hooked and entertained
without ever letting up. Plus, the majority of the shots are long takes, making
you feel deeply immersed into the world of the film. To give an idea on how
this film is different than the rest, there are about 5000 cuts in the average
movie; Gravity contains only 200.
The visual effects team just may as well start writing their
Oscar acceptance speeches now. Not since Avatar
has a movie used 3-D this well. Life of
Pi did a great job, arguably wonderful; but viewers will forget that
they’re not actually in outer space during Gravity.
And of course, the comforting presence of Earth is always there.
Resident cinephiles will catch a surprising amount of
allusions during the movie. Sandra Bullock floats like a baby in the womb of
the spacecraft (2001: A Space Odyssey),
an astronaut uses music to calm the situation (Space Cowboys), and mission control is played by an actor who’s
very familiar with NASA (hint: he’s in Apollo
13).
You absolutely, positively, without a doubt should see Gravity on the biggest screen possible.
It is actually shot in IMAX 3-D, so it is definitely worth the extra $5 to see
it in that format. At a bare minimum, you should see it in 3-D. If the glasses
concern you, don’t worry: space is supposed to be dark, and the lens barely
dims the screen. Even that amazed me.
That 15-minute opening shot? It’s one of only a handful of
masterful scenes in this motion picture event. Gravity will singlehandedly reaffirm passion for the movies. It is a film that
defies all expectations, and should be viewed the way it was meant to be seen.
It should and will win big at the Academy Awards, and will leave you utterly speechless.
If you ever wanted to go into space, or if you ever wanted to truly feel alive,
go experience Gravity.
Five out of five stars.
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