Neat visuals, no more

Rating: 3/10 (1 February 2014)

This film was a pretty big disappointment, I had only a vague idea of how it would play out in terms of plot but was expecting it to be a competent sci-fi film. It was not.
Gravity carries with it a pretense of realism but throws it out the window in the first couple minutes. Why the film even bothers in taking the time to point out that space is indeed silent is beyond me since there's always some sound playing. It's as if it's afraid to let go and take the viewer seriously, a streak that runs throughout the film.
Above all else I get the sense that Cuaròn wanted to make a film that was essentially CAST AWAY IN SPACE WITH SPACE EXPLOSIONS AND CATASTRPHIC RE-ENTRY and for what it's worth all those elements are here and executed effectively. But none of the things any sensible person would expect to see here are present. Why is it for example that the only communication Bullock manages to establish with the surface is with an amateur radio operator? Does Cuarón really believe that NASA relies entirely on satellites to stay in touch with astronauts? Does he really think they would be unable to use ground based means in case of an emergency that renders ALL of their conventional channels inoperable?
The above is however a minor gripe and the same goes for all other ignorance regarding orbital mechanics. What really irks me about this film is the infantile dialogue.
At no point watching this film was I ever convinced the people on screen were astronauts, and that is the paramount failure of Gravity.