Wow, yo. Wow.
That’s just about all I could say to myself while watching director Alfonso Cuarón’s stunningly accomplished Gravity starring American Sweethearts Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
Bullock and Clooney play opposite each other and the ominous vastness of the black in this lost-in-space thriller written by the Children of Men helmer and his son, Jonás. They are mission specialist Dr. Ryan Stone, a rookie to his kind of experience, and Lt. Matt Kowalski, the charismastic veteran astronaut in charge of their ship, the Explorer.
The pair is out there on a space walk, safely floating near a structure in need of a fix of some sort, when a rain of debris from a destroyed Russian satellite falls upon ’em with exponentially deadly consequence.
Cut off from their only link to Earth, a mostly soothing, unseen and unnamed voice down at Mission Control known only as “Houston” and, uh, voiced by Ed Harris, Stone and Kowalski must rely on each other to survive, which is obviously difficult. They are in a zero-gravity environment with virtually no option of imminent rescue. They can’t even phone home!
The pair is out there on a space walk, safely floating near a structure in need of a fix of some sort, when a rain of debris from a destroyed Russian satellite falls upon ’em with exponentially deadly consequence.
Cut off from their only link to Earth, a mostly soothing, unseen and unnamed voice down at Mission Control known only as “Houston” and, uh, voiced by Ed Harris, Stone and Kowalski must rely on each other to survive, which is obviously difficult. They are in a zero-gravity environment with virtually no option of imminent rescue. They can’t even phone home!
That’s where the soul of Gravity lies, in how like, these two essential strangers to each other – it’s not like they’re BFF…I got the sense they’re strict colleagues by circumstance – work through the fear that envelops their situation to make it. Kowalski, being the more experienced of the two (and the one winkingly played by cool-cat Clooney), is, clearly, the more collected one. Which works to their advantage. But it is Bullock who carries the film and gives it its heart (just don’t say that to the actress; I remember hearing her tell a reporter on the telly that this is Cuarón’s film and that the story and its technological spectacle carry it, not her, and she’s rather partially right).
Gravity is an outstanding film, and exactly the film Cuarón wanted to make. And quite accomplished, too, as a I said up top.
Given that the film is primarily set in a singular, intriguing location – space – and the rules up there differ from the rules down here on Earth, Cuarón and his team had to wear the s--- outta their thinking caps, and then some, to deliver images that are quite grand in scope, yet intimate, and sounds that are chillingly immersive.
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and composer Steven Price proved invaluable to their tasks. Especially because, as a collective, all these beyond-incredible feats of acting, direction, and tech come together to smooth the one problem area of the film: the words.
Some of the things Clooney and Bullock, particularly, have to say border on the cheeseball-y (Stone has a compelling reason for having taken on the mission in the first place, but it all plays out a little Lifetime-ly for my taste).
No matter, this is a space walk to remember.
Given that the film is primarily set in a singular, intriguing location – space – and the rules up there differ from the rules down here on Earth, Cuarón and his team had to wear the s--- outta their thinking caps, and then some, to deliver images that are quite grand in scope, yet intimate, and sounds that are chillingly immersive.
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and composer Steven Price proved invaluable to their tasks. Especially because, as a collective, all these beyond-incredible feats of acting, direction, and tech come together to smooth the one problem area of the film: the words.
Some of the things Clooney and Bullock, particularly, have to say border on the cheeseball-y (Stone has a compelling reason for having taken on the mission in the first place, but it all plays out a little Lifetime-ly for my taste).
No matter, this is a space walk to remember.
My Rating ****
Photo: ComicBookResources.com.
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