Gravity

Gravity

Beware the hype machine!  When you have critics raving about Gravity being one of the best movies in years, and then filmmakers like James Cameron stating that Gravity is possibly the greatest space movie ever...well, that's dangerous.  And it is setting the bar impossibly high.  Pre-conceived notions can ruin a movie.  The result is that people may not know what to expect from Gravity, but if they don't get the greatest theatrical experience of their lives, they are bound to be disappointed.

'That movie wasn't about anything,' they might complain.  'It looks cool, but nothing much happens.'  And technically, they would be correct.  The story is not original, and it's also fairly slight.  A NASA shuttle crew is in space, working on the Hubble Telescope, when they run afoul of a pile of space shrapnel, destroying their shuttle and leaving only two crew members alive, mission commander Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock).  Stranded in space and running short on oxygen, they need to think of a way to escape back to Earth. 

And that's about it. I'm not hiding any plot twists or anything.  That is literally all there is to it, story-wise.  But the story doesn't need to be more than that.  Why pad the runtime with subplots that will only dilute the film?  This is lean and efficient storytelling, without an ounce of fat. 

You know what?  I think I am about to be a hypocrite and add to the hype machine.  This is easily one of the most dazzling movies of the year - both in terms of its visuals and in terms of the filmmaking prowess.  Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity is a movie for movie lovers.  Cuaron is breaking new ground in terms of camera work and the use of the CGI (and most fascinating to me, the innovative combination of the cinematography with the effects work).  Cuaron loves long takes, and there are multiple scenes in this movie that go on for an insanely long periods of time without the camera cutting away.  That must have taken an immense amount of intricate planning between the director, the camera operators, and the actors who had to hit their spots perfectly every single time.  This must have been such a painstaking process and I am in awe of what they achieved.

I would even recommend seeing the movie in 3-D, which is a surprise coming from me, because I don't normally like 3-D.  It's an over-priced gimmick, and one that is normally done poorly.  Even when it is done well, I don't think it really adds anything to the film.  Besides, those glasses give me a headache.  But Gravity was a headache worth having! 

The acting is also very good.  Bullock carries much of the film on her shoulders, revealing a depth that I haven't really seen in her other work, including her Oscar-winning turn in The Blind Side.  And Clooney is great, too.  Some folks say, 'he's just acting like Clooney,' but I disagree.  Pay attention to when the suave charmer we all know shifts into Mission Commander mode and starts barking orders.  It's a subtle shift, the way he plays it, but not any less effective because of it.  I thought he was great.

As is the whole film.  There is one moment near the end that annoyed me, the one time the movie breaks into a Hollywood formula, but other than that, I was with this roller coaster ride.  Gravity is one of the most effective films of the year, full of tension and emotion, and I easily think it is one of the top contenders for Best Picture come Oscar time.

That is - if the backlash doesn't swoop in and derail its growing reputation.  Which would really be shame.  Look, this is not the greatest space movie of all time, but it is still fantastic.  Don't let the hype get in your head because it might just ruin a brilliant film.  I was utterly absorbed, and I hope you are just as thrilled by the movie as I was.  Yes, Gravity is simple, but it is cinema as art, and it is simply brilliant. 


MVP:

No doubt in my mind, this is Cuaron's MVP award.  And it is his filmmaking style that elevates Gravity into a work of art.  His insistence on long takes and slower pacing just makes the movie more effective and suspenseful (watching the scene where Stone has to release some clamps near the International Space Station had me so close to the edge of my seat, I almost fell off!  And it is also one, long, stable shot...so take that, Hollywood, with your insistence of shaky cam and over-editing scenes to pieces!).  Anyways, Cuaron is brilliant, and so is Gravity.

BEST LINE:

Dr. Ryan Stone: I hate space.

TRIVIA:

In terms of trivia, I always think it is fun to hear about who was originally cast in a film.  Before Sandra Bullock, the lead character was to be played by Angelina Jolie, but she dropped out.  Natalie Portman was also offered the part, but she turned down the role shortly before announcing her pregnancy.  Robert Downey, Jr, was to play Kowalski, but he also dropped out, opening up the role for Clooney.