All alone in the night

Rating: 9/10 (16 April 2015)

After the testing of an anti-satellite missile goes disastrously wrong; the debris quickly hits other satellites causing a snowball effect as more and more debris is created. This debris is heading at very high speed towards the crew of a US shuttle who are on a mission to repair the Hubble Telescope. When it strikes there are only two survivors; Ryan Stone, a female biomedical engineer on her first mission; and Matt Kowalski, a seasoned astronaut with many missions under his belt. With the shuttle effectively destroyed they must find another way home and understandably the choices are limited. There is a Soyuz module at the nearby International Space Station but that has been damaged in a way that makes re-entry impossible; it may be able to travel to the Chinese space station where there is a similar module but that is a hundred kilometres away.
If you are looking for a film with a deep plot and lots of twists then this is not it; once the disaster strikes the only route home is quickly established. That doesn't mean the film is boring though; the action is spectacular as the two survivors struggle at each stage. There are some surprises too but I'll try not to spoil the main one! The cast does a fine job; Sandra Bullock carries the film as Ryan Stone nicely portraying her fear and determination, she is ably supported by George Clooney who plays Kowalski; a smaller part but equally important to the story. The special effects are amazing bringing the viewer right into the action even when watched on a small screen although this is the first film I've watched on a television for some time that I thought I would have liked to have seen it in the cinema. The tension is maintained from the moment the disaster strikes right until the end with very few moments when it didn't feel like disaster could strike. Overall a gripping film that I heartily recommend.