The intensity of the experience covers up for the weaknesses in the events and writing

Rating: Null/10 (20 November 2013)

I am really not a fan of 3D; I dislike that everything seems darker and a little bit harder to see and even for the big banner 3D movie (Avatar) it seemed like an unnecessary gimmick that didn't do enough to cover up a not particularly good film. Add to this the number of films that are cheaply retrofitted with 3D for the sake of money and I really have no interest in seeing anything in 3D if I have a normal option. Gravity was the exception since from what I heard it was probably worth seeing in 3D and from seeing it I can agree with this.
As a piece of technology, Gravity is really impressive. I always think that the absolute best use of special effects in films are those where you forget how impressive they are because they really don't stand out as different from everything else but are just part of the construct. That is the case here as space just feels real and the huge amount of work to make it happen isn't made a fuss of and doesn't get in the way of enjoying the film. Helping you forget this is the fact that the film is a real experience in terms of the story as a ride. Within a few minutes you are in the middle of the experience and it really doesn't stop until the end. Visually I did still feel the 3D made the images darker than they should have been and reduced the clarity of my whole field of vision, but in this case the feeling of being "in" the film really work and aside from one or two "thing coming at you" moments, it really worked. For me equally impressive was the sound engineering; most sound effects are given a really satisfying "via contact" sound – the sound where the vibrations come via water or another material like they vibrate through your body rather than in the air. This was done so very well and helped me get into it as much as the visuals and effects.
The one thing to say though is that all of this probably only applies if you see it in the cinema and with the full experience because this is what it is about – and it would be wrong to get sucked up in the experience and not see the weaknesses within this film. Specifically these are in the content and they will be more apparent on a smaller screen. The events within the film are so unlikely that without these strong aspects drawing you in, they will probably be more likely to push you out of the experience to question what you are watching. Attempts to add character and back story are OK but only as part of an already engaging experience – mostly they are only so-so and one or two rather clunky bits of symbolism really don't work. That said it is not down to the cast. Clooney may be very much about his calmness under pressure and his great presence but Bullock does a very good job to be vulnerable and fighting to survive and just like the effects do, her performance draws you in even if the material she sometimes has to deliver has the potential to do the opposite.
Gravity is only 90 minutes and it moves with intensity and urgency that is effective and greatly helped by how great it is as an experience. As such it will work best by far with a large screen and those silly overpriced glasses on because it is all about this and in this context the weaknesses are less impacting – but there are weaknesses and they do have an impact and I suspect that as the film moves onto smaller screens, these will be more apparent.