A visual masterpiece, although far from flawless concerning story and characters

Rating: 6/10 (2 March 2014)

Gravity, or, as I like to call it, 99 Reasonable Arguments Against Becoming an Astronaut, is one of the most visually striking and impressive films in recent history and definitely a benchmark for all the science-fiction flicks to come after it. The good news about this is that Alfonso Cuarón didn't solely achieve this because of the hundred million budget he was provided with, but also through wonderful imagination and, I assume, loads of research.
Writing a script with only one or two on-screen characters in a life- threatening situation has lately become a Hollywood screenwriter's favourite thing to do and Gravity doesn't exactly reinvent this drama sub-genre. That isn't of much consequence however, as the UK/US co- production is centred on a person's behaviour and the emotions induced under these grave circumstances. Sandra Bullock is this person in Gravity and quite possibly gives the performance of her career (if not an Oscar-worthy one), as she remains realistic even when she's the only person we see and thus undergoes even more scrutiny than otherwise. There isn't really anything we get to know about her character other than her daughter having died at the age of four, but just her being in and attempting to handle such a situation is highly interesting to watch.
Anyway, what you'll really remember about Gravity are the visuals. As far as I've read, pretty much anything besides the faces of Bullock and her colleague in peril, George Clooney, was created through special effects, and yet, the film is one of the most lifelike and believable depictions of space ever made. And while I'm unaware of how much cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki participated in the looks of Gravity, the result is an immensely good-looking motion picture, showing space as a place of heaven-like beauty in one scene and as a frightening and dark setting for a horror film in the other. Every visual aspect about it is meticulously wrought and stunning to look at, making you appreciate just how much work was invested in realising every tiny detail about the film in the best way.
With such a big-scale production, a plot less thin and predictable would've been desirable, especially due to the fact that you need more than just visuals to make a film rewatchable. But there is really no denying that Cuarón has accomplished a most impressive and breathtaking film with Gravity, that should at least scoop the technical trophies at the Academy Awards.