'Gravity' will leave you breathless!
It's only fitting that the last review I did was on a Sandra Bullock movie ('The Heat') and my much needed return to blogging is with the breathtaking Sandra Bullock helmed 'Gravity'. Believe the hype, believe all of the ads and do yourself a favor, see this in 3D/IMAX!
Alfonso Cuarón, the Academy Award nominated director of 'Pan's Labyrinth', brings to the screen a harrowing yet elegant tale of two astronauts marooned in the dead of space after a catastrophic accident causes chaos around them. Not since Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' have we come so personally close to something that we may never have the chance to be involved with. The vastness of space, infinite with its billions of stars as a backdrop, becomes a very intimate tale of courage, loss and hope. As a viewer, we are drawn into the almost claustrophobic nature of the suit that Dr Ryan Stone (Bullock) is trapped within. It is Bullock's performance that draws us in, and without her talent, this may have been just another disaster movie; but because of the way she simply makes us believe, we are there with her, sitting on the edge of our seats, grabbing the arm rest to hold breathlessly on fearing we should all tumble into the blackness with her.
This is not a standard effects laden movie. The direction, cinematography and story telling all play together perfectly to bring one of the first Academy Award worthy movies of the season. Without a doubt Bullock will be nominated and the film itself should earn a nod. George Clooney as the seasoned astronaut Matt Kowalski (looking very much like Buzz Lightyear) served as an excellent anchor to the film; while his part (in comparison to the whole movie) was relatively small; its impact is felt throughout.
But the real praise falls firmly upon Bullock, who not since Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away' carries the entire weight of the film on her very capable shoulders. This is truly one of the first 'must see' movies of the year; in fact, I would even go further to say that is the first MUST EXPERIENCE movie in recent years. If you never pay the extra hard earned dollars for 3D/IMAX, I would say that you are doing yourself a disservice for 'Gravity'. Well worth every dollar spent (including popcorn), 'Gravity' is a film that will stay with you, exhaust you and make you believe in the wonder fo films again! This is a 4 star movie with 4 star performances!