A Space Movie That Breaks New Ground

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2013)

Gravity. What's ironic is that it's exactly what lacks in almost the entirety of the movie: that powerful, unseen force which keeps everybody's feet literally on the ground.
Gravity triumphs on multiple levels. From cinematography to special effects to musical scoring to a story so close to home despite the setting so far from it, this film breaks new ground (or space) in movie-making. Anyone watching it would be left wondering how they managed to get those shots of George Clooney and Sandra Bullock not only from every imaginable angle, but also the continuity of certain scenes that would have required lengthy retakes if there had been errors during the shoot (which brought to my mind 'Snake Eyes').
I'd recommend that you watch it in 3D if you really want to have a virtual feel of spacewalking that can give you both that feeling of unease and wonder of being in space (the latter being something that really made me even become more in awe of God's creations, seeing earth from space with its many visages).
What's also ironic, at least from my experience in watching it, is that the immense space can actually make you feel claustrophobic, at least from Bullock's point of view. The more she drifted away from anything that would keep her from hurtling into deep space, the more you'll feel both the vastness of the universe and life slipping away as earth becomes even more out of reach and out of sight. And as you feel that seemingly endless blackness engulfing you, it's when that sensation of being constricted starts to creep in.
I hadn't wanted to take anything away from the performances of the main (and only) actors so as not to dilute the film's overall integrity, but Clooney's predictable (some would even say annoying) smirks and Bullock's familiar panicking (her facial expressions are almost a carbon copy of her hysteria while driving a bus with a bomb on board in 'Speed') were uncomfortably close to ruining the experience of watching this brilliant movie. Still, I give them credit for acting that was mainly dependent on facial expressions since they were in their spacesuits with their helmets on perhaps 95% of the film.
The moviegoer can easily be taken for an emotional roller-coaster ride throughout it. Even heard a bit of applause during a scene towards the end of the film where Bullock's character seemed to have conquered impossible odds. I must admit I got goose bumps myself watching some of the powerful scenes.
This movie looked really original. I don't remember any film in recent times that captured such intensity and drama in space given only a few elements to work with. Admittedly, Apollo 13 can perhaps be the closest you can compare it to in terms of movies in space, but the filmmaking technology and special effects used in Gravity are, for me, quite pioneering.
It's been a quite a while since I last experienced watching a film as enthralling as Gravity. Go watch it. It's worth every bit of money you pay for it (even if you watch it in 3D).