A Soulful Space Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (20 August 2016)

'Gravity' is a film that successfully operates on two distinct levels and may eventually come to be considered a milestone in modern cinema. On the one hand it sets new standards in visual effects, while on the other, it simultaneously details the rather poignant emotional journey of its central character, a combination which is not necessarily easy to achieve.
It is perhaps the first film in which there is a genuinely artistic use of 3D that feels fully natural and immersive, distinctly adding to the viewer's experience as opposed to feeling somewhat like an unnecessary frill. But it is not merely the use of 3D technology that makes this film beautiful to watch, director Alfonso Cuarón's innovative use of panoramic views and detailed close ups almost create in the viewer the sense that you are floating alongside the film's protagonists, played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, as they struggle with the disaster that strikes them 375 miles above Earth.
Equally effective in terms of impact on the senses are the use of sound and silence. The excellent musical score and sound effects are only enhanced by carefully chosen moments of complete silence which set a distinct tone to the film in perfect keeping with the stillness of space in which the action is taking place.
But perhaps this film's greatest achievement is its success at presenting the unfolding emotional story of its lead character in the midst of all this silence and space debris. Touchingly portrayed by Sandra Bullock, who holds the screen on her own for much of the film, we learn of the inner personal struggle of this woman who is an emotionally damaged individual, just as the space capsules she inhabits are physically damaged.
See this film not just for its groundbreaking special effects and detailed sense of physical realism, but also for the particular challenge faced by its heroine - the struggle to cope with the crisis at hand and the struggle to find the courage to cope with her own self.