Cinematic Brilliance

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2013)

When I see a truly great movie it leaves me speechless. There's so much going through my mind. Because a great film is one that can't be taken at face value it inspires thought and leaves an imprint on you. At it's surface Gravity is a Hollywood popcorn movie about survival in space during a horrific accident but underneath it and most importantly it is a film about the human experience. From it's wonderfully entrancing opening shot Director Alfonso Cuaron immerses you in the environment of space. It's the closest experience many of us will get to actual space travel. We meet our central characters executing their assigned tasks and goofing off a bit, and than they get an emergency message that debris from a damaged satellite is heading towards them. It strikes with no sound, because there is no sound in space. it's a truly nightmarish sequence that leads to some of the most horrifying moments you've ever seen on screen. The film is a tour de force from beginning to end. A monumental technical achievement, terrifyingly beautiful but what makes this film so successful is in the way the heavy effects that drive the film blend with it's emotional core making for a truly engaging experience. When Sandra Bullock sheds her suit and floats in a fetal position you can feel the subtext of rebirth as well as finding the will to survive and echoes of that in the films conclusion. Gravity is a film about death but it's also a film about life and loss and the will to survive not just in the events that are happening on screen but everything that happens to us on a day to day basis. Director Alfonso Cuaron a master film maker directs the film with an eerie simplicity challenging us with nearly unbearable tension and delving deeper into something truly spiritual. George Clooney leaves a charismatic imprint in a small but important role and the central performance by Sandra Bullock is truly remarkable and quite possibly the best of her dramatic career. She's a definite shoe in for a best performance nod and anyone going against her will have a hard run of it. The movie flows like liquid cinematic poetry covering every inch with cinematic brilliance. Gravity isn't just one of the best films I've ever seen it's an amazing experience. *****/5