Alfonso Cuaron finds life in space

Rating: Null/10 (15 November 2013)

Space draws ours interest because most of us will never get to experience of the wonders that lurk there. Director, Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity is the best alternative to a trip to space. There's no hyperbole that comes with describing Gravity because it is in fact magnificent.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer sent to space with experienced astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) to service a Hubble Space Telescope. Before completing their work on the Telescope, they are hit with debris from another Satellite when the two individuals are separated and communication is lost. Dr. Stone, not a trained astronaut, must find her way to return safely to Earth.
In 2009's Avatar, James Cameron advanced visual effects to new heights in order to fit his image of the fictional world, Pandora. Like Cameron, Cuaron's vision required him to invent new technology in order for the film to have the intimacy he desired for his audience. The visuals are essential to the enjoyment of Gravity. This isn't a film that could hold its weight with the screenplay alone.
Gravity is the best use of 3D ever in film. I'm not a supporter of 3D, I never have been, but Gravity gives me hope that the future will properly suit each film that uses 3D to enhance the experience, not just a means to boost the box office sales. Cuaron makes us feel that we are taken off of Earth and shuttled into space with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. We feel like we have become a part of the story, like a miscellaneous object floating with the characters. If Gravity lacked 3D, Cuaron would have had a more difficult time transporting us like he does.
Children of Men, one of Cuaron's most praised films, became famous for scenes that consisted of the long, uninterrupted takes. Instead of three or four minute scenes of that nature, he pushes us even further with ten minutes without a single editing cut in Gravity. This flow allows the audience to funnel its focus into the film and think about nothing else. Cuaron only cuts when it is necessary to give us the perspective of his heroine.
How hard would that be? Plays go uninterrupted for hours at times, why is it so special here? Because the camera-work must follow the characters, who succumb to gravity while they try to solve their predicaments. The camera zooms in on the two actors as they float frontwards and backwards, upside down, right-side up to make us empathize with the characters, as well as establishing and tracking shots to show the magnitude of the action and scope out outer space.
The special effects are so realistic that a naive man would believe Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were trained as astronauts to shoot the film in outer space. Visual effects are hardly ever a sole reason to see a film, but Gravity is now the exception to that rule. Film critics and analysts have been left baffled to understand how Cuaron conducted the thorough realism of outer space.
When an actor is offered a role that is a one-woman show for two-thirds of an entire film, it can be daunting decision to sign on. Sandra Bullock doesn't let the pressure affect her portrayal, in fact she pulls something out of her that we have waited for her entire career. Bullock doesn't challenge herself in the romantic comedies and the "Feel Good" Lifetime-style dramas she often selects, but in Gravity she delivers a strong performance that makes me proud of her acting ability.
Creating movies is like a balancing act. Screenplays that are intricately written with great details and higher meanings typically won't fare well if the director's mind is on spectacle. Gravity has spectacle at the top of its list. The film has so much to show us, therefore it makes sense for not having as much to tell. But, Gravity manifests that thinly plotted script can have as much meaning and life value as any novel adaptation.
Gravity is about life. Not just life in space, but it questions how every one of us view life. Are we prepared to give up on everything because we've faced obstacles that have knocked us down, or is there beauty in fighting and climbing the ladder of life? Alfonso Cuaron finds life in space.
Gravity proves stereotypes wrong. Who ever made it a rule that movies in space or containing action had to be unrealistic? Like me, you may have seen the trailer and posters for Gravity and may think "I'm not in the mood for Science Fiction." I'm sure there are some inaccuracies, but there's nothing predominantly unrealistic about it, the setting just happens to be in outer space. Don't wait for the DVD/BluRay, it won't be the same as the smashing experience in the 3D cinema.
Grade: A
Rating: 9