Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up and hold on tight because “Gravity” will show you outer space like you have never seen it before. This intense, 90-minute thriller is not fit for a casual movie night; it will have you on the edge of your seat with a pulsing heart the whole way through.
In theaters now, “Gravity” is about a medical engineer, Ryan Stone (Oscar winner Sandra Bullock), who is sent to outer space to help upgrade a telescope for NASA but is forced helplessly on an unexpected journey. While Stone and Matt Kowalski (Oscar winner George Clooney) are working outside of the spaceship, debris from a Russian satellite comes hurling at them and destroys their space ship and kills their entire team. Stone and Kowalski must rely on each other’s knowledge and survival skills to get out of their unimaginable situation alive.
Without any communication to NASA, Stone and Kowalski are blindly stranded in a vast, unknown region of space. Stone opens and shares parts of her life with Kowalski and the viewers, revealing the personal aspect of the story. The movie reveals the emotional and physical, as well as mental struggle, for survival.
The amazing cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki made it seem as if you were right next to Bullock and Clooney, traveling through the vast, dark, soundless area of space. At points, I felt like I was the one floating powerlessly through space and the continuous thrill made my heart jump at every new disaster that came flinging their way.
Bullock is critically acclaimed for her previous work, including the “The Blind Side” and “Crash,” but she has never played a character like this before. Her portrayal of the character brings the audience out of their seats, hoping for her to arrive back on Earth safely.
Director Alfonso Cuarón (nominated for best director for his work in “Children of Men”) captures the audience with his brilliance and brings them through the thrilling voyage. Every scene was portrayed perfectly so that the movie made the heart pump and the tears flow. From debris flying faster than bullets to the characters’ struggle for survival, Cuarón, along with his brother Jonás, wrote a spectacular movie supported by amazing performances.
After watching the film, it took me a couple of hours to surface from the ride I was taken on and process the entirety of what I had seen. While it had the craziness of being thrown around without gravity, it also incorporated the deepness of the human emotions and how much it will take for a person to crack.
I was left speechless by this film. It was an idea so unique that the event of seeing it was all the greater. Every aspect of the movie fit perfectly. From the directing to the film work to the acting, the movie made me think as well as feel. If you are ready for the thrill of a lifetime, check “Gravity” out.
Gravity
1 hour 31 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
With Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris