Astonishing, Technically Brilliant and Very Moving

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2013)

I saw "Gravity" on opening weekend, and was so overwhelmed by the visuals that I went a second time on the same weekend to absorb the rest of the film once the novelty of the visuals had worn off. I wish I had posted my comments then, because now that it's become a phenomenon, my review is just so much white noise, and to those who are determined to hate "Gravity" because it's so popular, I'll be easy to dismiss as just one more lemming.
But I did love "Gravity." I thought it was an absolutely beautiful movie, a story about loss, grief and rekindled hope disguised as a simple space survival story. It affected me very deeply and moved me to tears a few times, sometimes through the strength of its message, sometimes through the wonderful performance of Sandra Bullock, and at other times from the sheer visual beauty of the film. I can understand why others wouldn't be moved by the film (one of the things I love most about cinema is the subjective reactions audiences have to it), but I can't believe that anyone who purports to love movies won't at least acknowledge the sheer technical filmmaking mastery on display in this movie.
Alfonso Cuaron has vaulted to the top of my list of favorite directors on the strength of this and "Children of Men," another of his films that slugged me with an emotional punch to the gut. He's the rare director who can make us marvel at the technical achievements he's putting up on the screen even while he's touching us deeply with an emotional connection. In that way, he's a much less maudlin and sentimental version of Steven Spielberg.
I'm almost disappointed that "Gravity" has become so popular, because it's the kind of movie I responded very personally to, and now it's going to be nominated for a bunch of Oscars and all we'll hear about between now and February of 2014 is how it doesn't deserve all of its acclaim.
Grade: A+