Beyond Extraordinary

Rating: 10/10 (27 June 2015)

Films like Blackhawk Down attempt, through the art of the film-maker, to bring the viewer into the experience of something that is planned a certain way yet goes horribly wrong.
That said, what this extraordinary piece of film art has in common with Blackhawk Down, and most other films of that genre, is pretty much nothing.
Because in Gravity the writer/director started with the same theme (something planned that goes horribly wrong) and transformed, transfigured, morphed, it into a story that defines the very best aspects of what it is to be human; to be alive.
I have done a fair number of reviews for IMDb but I confess I am humbled by this one.
The technicals? Sound, direction, settings, special effects, editing. Perfect. Better than I have ever seen. You know you are looking at someone's idea of what it is to be in deep space, and the cynic in you keeps trying to find flaws, stunts that do not work. But there are none to be found. Perfect.
Now the acting. Perfect again. Bullock has never given a better performance in her career and - no disrespect -- may never surpass this one. There is a throwaway line late in the film -- what used to be called an "aside" in stage plays -- which reads in the script, "I hate space." It is tribute to her work here that she not only nails the line but after you leave the theatre (or close the DVD) you cannot imagine any other actor doing that line and making it work as well.
Clooney? During the run of the original CSI VEGAS, the producers were embarrassed by surveys showing that "Grissom" was the boss most Americans wanted to work for, regardless of their job or where they lived.
After watching this film, and even though he has minimal screen time, AND ONLY A FEW MOMENTS OF FACE TIME, George Clooney is like the only person you would want to call if you were in a dangerous situation and needed counselling. That's how good he is.
And just when you think this perfect film could not get any better, you get an ending that makes you cry, laugh, and wince all at the same time.
Extraordinary.