Missing Gravitas

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2014)

This film was not what I expected - I was actually pleasantly surprised! That doesn't, however, mean it was the brilliant film most have been raving about. The cinematography / cgi work was breathtaking and stood out for most of the film. There was action. Really! And a lot of it! I caught myself on a few occasions glued to the screen, apprehension drawn all over my face. Sadly, my face appeared to have more emotion that that of Sandra Bullock's Dr Ryan. Both she and Clooney (playing the somewhat garrulous astronaut Kowalski) appeared to be going through the motions giving underwhelming performances. As the film progressed the situations Dr Ryan found herself in became increasingly more ridiculous. It all begins with the Russians bombing their own satellite by accident (already, facepalm) creating debris and initiating a chain-reaction of events. And yes, the physics of it all was not as accurate as some might want you to believe. Clichés galore, let's also chuck in a side-story about the protagonist's massive personal loss from her recent past - to make her more approachable? Likable? Believable? Oh, wait, to add the existential dilemma needed for added emotional gravitas to the film! Right.. Yet one would be able to suspend their belief if the dialogue supported it. In this film, it didn't. It was, frankly, quite juvenile at times. This could of been for me the masterpiece others saw had more effort been put in parts of the plot and most of the dialogue (the later being what I'm holding responsible for both Bullock and Clooney's subpar performances). In summary, NOT the innovative masterpiece expected, however a watchable pop-corn movie nonetheless.