Open Space

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2013)

Gravity will take your breath away. Literally.
This could've been just me, but I was extremely out of breath when I left the theatre. Perhaps, I was holding my breath many times in one of the most exciting and tension-built movie I've seen in a long time. I just thank God Stanley Kubrick wasn't around to direct/write this or we would've been in the theatre twice the merciful 90 minutes and I might have passed out.
Now, I'm no astronaut, never studied or worked at NASA or plan a trip out into space, so I cannot comment on if any of the events in Gravity could ever happen, especially since the many, MANY, obstacles that do happen, happen so simultaneously, all that occurred might as well overlapped each other. Now, that does lead me to believe that most of what happened wouldn't or couldn't happen, but then again, I'm no expert. What I can say, as a layman, dumbed down or written in for the excitement, it was one helluva ride.
In one enormously thin plot, a doctor had previously trained for 6-months at NASA and heads to space to repair a gadget, when the Russians decide then would be a good time to inadvertently, or on purpose, blow up a satellite causing debris to head toward them. Unlike Star Trek, et al, there aren't invisible shields and this causes all-but two astronauts to be stranded in space without the rest of their crew or a ship to get home in.
Luckily – though, it may not seem that way when you watch it! – there are other options in space to get you home and the rest of the movie is just that: The Voyage Home (to swing back to the Star Trek analogy.
Visually, the movie is breathtaking – as covered above, the score is decent, the mood nice, I loved the calmness and caring of Clooney's character and Sandra's acting was pretty good. But, the most you'll take from this was the non-stop, science fiction or not, action. Those with heart conditions should literally talk with their doctor before seeing this.
On the downside and on the surface, huh, the movie lacks or was just mediocre in every other category. The dialogue, while not bad, wasn't memorable, but for a couple of lines. The story, again, is really nothing but a tiny bit of background and then just a survival story. And some of the very placed debris, i.e. toys and obvious space references, were more REALLY? moments for me in such a serious picture.
That all said, overall the movie's genre is probably a 50/50 split between suspense and action, and the movie, once the Russian debris hit, never ceases to provide what the core of the movie is: a suspenseful action film.
For moviegoers who like over-the-top tension and fun – and I had both, this is a total recommendation. Especially in LIEMAX. The 3D is just for those gimmicky and REALLY? objects to float towards you with minute exceptions to when something does add to the tension, but those were rare.
* * * Final thoughts: Yeah, of course, I was thinking of the film, Open Water, throughout this movie. While that "against all odds, 2-survivors (one male, one female) stranded and adrift in water" movie felt 10x more realistic, this "against all odds, 2-survivors (one male, one female) stranded and adrift in space" film will was certainly a lot more funand heart pounding!