Bullock in Space.

Rating: 9/10 (11 September 2015)

Gravity (2013): Dir: Alfonso Cuaron / Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Paul Sharma / Voices: Ed Harris, Amy Warren: Gripping space thriller with a title that seems to symbolize survival not just in space but also in overcoming grief. George Clooney plays a veteran astronaut on his final mission and Sandra Bullock plays a bio-medical engineer on her first expedition. Everything is routine in the quiet of space until high speed debris hits destroying their shuttle, killing a third engineer, and sending Bullock tumble floating rapidly into space. This is where both characters differ. Bullock is hyperventilating and losing oxygen from shock while Clooney is calm and uses his veteran skill to direct her back. It is dire straights for a race against time to regain shelter in another shuttle before another debris hits. Director Alfonso Cuaron tenses things up giving viewers a feel as to what being trapped in space would be like. He previously directed one of the best Harry Potter films with Prisoner of Azkaban. Both leads hold strong but it is Bullock's sense of helplessness that viewers can relate. She is skilled at the job and meets the disaster with only a hope at survival. She is given a back story regarding her deceased daughter, which led to her grief. Unfortunately smaller roles consist of useless mission command voices or astronauts that end up dead with little background. This works against the film when factoring the focus on star power as oppose to developing these minor roles further. Explosive special effects highlight a powerful film about staring uncertainty in the face until hitting home. Score: 9 / 10