The greatest example of visual narrative I've ever experienced.

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2014)

*Warning, contains some plot spoilers*
To the average-Joe, this film is just boring about a woman stuck in space. To those who love movies and the art of making them, this is simply a rare thing in cinematic history. A movie that actually pioneers the spirit of making movies and pushes the medium beyond what the average film is capable of.
If you listen to most reviews disappointed by the movie, you can tell these are people who barely scratch the surface of films. On the surface its a movie about a woman trying to survive a disaster in space. Under the surface if you are capable of reading visual narrative, it is about a mother who lost a child and with it all that motivates her in life. The movie is about her rediscovering her desire for life through the experiences she faces while desperately seeking a way to survive.
It's a film of outstanding metaphors on existence, the obstacles and hurdles one experiences in life are obviously represented by the recurring destructive debris she's faced with overcoming. The very planet Earth itself is the sole representation of all that is beautiful and attractive in life and that which is her goal to return to. There is even a rebirth scene where her real fight to return begins in the docking bay of the station that she finally manages to get to. A stunning example of visual metaphor at its finest with her in foetal position, zero gravity, straps like fallopian tubes and in foetal position. It's a striking image in a movie full of striking imagery and cleverly seeded props that aid the visual narrative. Nothing is wasted, every anecdote Clooney recounts, the photo of the dead astronauts family even the unknown voice on the radio with the baby. Everything seeded to give the characters their background as well as indicate an aspect of the life she has long lost the desire to reclaim.
Again, the excellence of this level of visual plotting is lost on those who simply can't begin to interpret its fine art. The use of sound is like no other film I've ever known, truly original use of sound editing through everything they touch and way beyond your average orchestral music composition. George Clooney's character is a perfect polarising attribute to Sandra Bullocks Ryan Stone, he is essentially everything she's lost in terms of enjoying life. He has stories beyond stories of experiences and in her darkest most rock bottom moment that spark is ignited in true style of his character in one of cinema's most well delivered subversive dream sequences. The ending itself is worth every penny watching her literally re-evolve from her experience from one element into another delivering the story of life and everything that grounds it to us like a punchline.
This movie is a rare perfection, a true cinematic experience and everything movie-making exists for. Emotional, thrilling, visually stunning and with a beautiful score. Truly worthy of every award it got and more, by far and away the best film of the year and one of the greatest movies ever made.