One of the most beautiful experiences of any art form. Unlike anything I have ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2013)

I wasn't sure really what to expect from Gravity. I did have high expectations and it's clear from Alfonso Cuaron's last film Children of Men that he is an exciting director and makes interesting films. Gravity is way beyond that. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. At heart it is a film about an individual's endurance and shear will to survive, nothing we haven't seen before, but it's the almost perfect execution that makes this film a masterpiece. First of all, this is a visual film. Every visual element comes together like cogs so that the finished product looks (and feels) extraordinary. The way the camera moves (pace, directionality, the way the focus shifts), the way the film is lit, the set pieces, all add up to what is visually speaking the film equivalent of an opera. And I never thought I'd say this but the 3D makes up one of those cogs, sometimes not quite moving in quite close harmony with the others, but very rarely was that the case. 3D for me has rarely been immersive, and never would I have described an entire 3D film as being that, until now. Rarely does a shot look noticeably out of focus, such is the norm with 3D. The vast, vast majority only adds to the beauty and wonder of the overall visual experience. Cuaron gets 3D, the slow-moving shots allow for an adjustment of focus that is seamless. In fact I'd go as far as to say that to see the film in 2D would be to miss a large part of what makes the film so stunning. Secondly, while I'll admit that the plot itself and dialogue are perhaps clunky at best, I didn't care. The lack of any sort of plot isn't an issue, the film is following the character on a short journey and as explained above you really do feel like you're right there, in space, watching. There are plenty of films where there is a lack of narrative. That is not an issue. The dialogue in this film needs to serve only as a commentary on what is going on, to fill in any blanks, which I'll admit people may have a problem with, and it does get a little cheesy. I didn't care. I was rarely listening to what was being said. I was more interested on what I was watching, yes the stunning visuals, but also the plight of the character, which was enthralling. Also, Sandra Bullock does enough to make the character come alive right here in the present so that the dialogue is largely redundant anyway, and any backstory not necessary. I found I was emotionally invested in George Clooney's character as soon as any threat began because it felt so real, not just because of the visuals but because of the weight of the acting and the threat itself. Lastly, I'll say that I haven't been as emotionally exhausted by a film in a very long time, if ever. I certainly have never felt so emotionally up and down watching a film. I probably laughed, cried and felt anxious short of having a heart attack several times in several different orders in the space of just 10 minutes of the film. The threat feels real and while I'll admit that people might find the continued frustration the film makes you feel annoying, I do think that is the point, the film sets out to be frustrating, it is part of the constant emotional roller- coaster (cliché I know but it's also an appropriate way to physically describe the film) you feel like you're sitting on while watching it, and only adds to the realism of the threat. Importantly, Gravity doesn't feel like a typical sci-fi film. It could be set anywhere where there is sustained mortal threat, and I'm sure there are numerous films one could cite to show that in terms of narrative and theme it does nothing new. It does not pretend to be profound, or even particularly clever, but it does exactly what it sets out to do- show the plight of an individual though sustained trauma, alone and terrified- and I can't fault the result for what it is (though maybe I'm missing something). I tend to be overly critical of almost every film I see and I could count of two hands the number of films I have ever considered to be 10/10 films. I genuinely think this is one of them. From the opening shot I was in awe of the visuals, I have never seen anything that comes close to the spectacle of Gravity. From the moment the threat began I was scared, frustrated, happy, depressed, overjoyed, not necessarily in that order and several times over. I consider it almost mandatory that a film provokes some sort of emotional response, whether laughter, crying, happiness or even depression. One of the worst things a film can make you feel is cold. Gravity provoked emotional response and involvement in abundance, and it makes me love it even more. I will say that I'm sure that it would be different on a small screen in my own home in 2D, than in a cinema in 3D, and that would impact the entire experience of the film, though I'm sure that this is true of almost every film these days, but probably never as true as with Gravity. I left genuinely feeling a sense of having had all of my emotional limits tested one by one unrelentingly in such a small space of time on top of having witnessed the most stunning visuals I had ever seen as well as every aspect of the film (with the possible exception of the dialogue) having come together to form something that most closely resembles opera. I hate to use the word "experience", it sounds too cheesy, but it best describes how I think of the way Gravity plays in a cinema in 3D. For that experience- 10/10