Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a biomedical engineer on a space shuttle mission to make upgrades to some of the Hubble Space Telescope’s delicate instruments. During her spacewalk, a debris field caused by an exploded satellite overtakes Stone, her crew, and their shuttle. Stranded in orbit, Stone and Lt. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) form a desperate plan to survive.
Some people complain about a lack of plot and I can see why they might think so but I think this may be because they do not share my understanding of what constitutes plot and story. As a story, Gravity is a powerhouse sequence of events. Precious little time is spent on wind-up. In your typical disaster blockbuster, probably a good thirty minutes would be spent introducing us to the characters. Here, we get maybe five minutes before things go haywire. Only after the spectacular opening sequence do we get to know the two surviving characters. Even then, we only learn about the shell-shocked Ryan because Kowalski knows he needs to distract her from the high probability that they are going to die.
But these forced conversations open us up to Ryan’s emotional journey, which I consider the film’s plot. She goes from being terrified and helpless, to mustering the courage to fight for her life, to finding the will to live. She clings to some things as she lets go of others. As in real life, people tend to find out who they are and what they’re made of during times of hardship. In 91 minutes, we witness one woman’s gut-wrenching transformation amidst the most extreme conditions. We get to know Ryan Stone at her worst and at her best and it is so, so powerful to experience.
Sandra Bullock carries this film on her shoulders and makes it look effortless. In reality, she was rigged to a wire harness in a box covered with LED lights. While you might think this film was shot in space or like on a parabolic flight like in Apollo 13, Bullock actually spent almost all of her time as if she were a marionette puppet, with the filmmakers controlling her every move. To be able to give up control of your body while delivering such a frenzied performance is astounding and, for me, this beats even her Oscar-winning performance in The Blind Side.
This movie looks like it was filmed in space. What is most astonishing is that all of the exterior spacewalk sequences are 100% digitally created, save for the actor’s superimposed faces inside the suits. Seeing pictures of the crew filming interior scenes is amazing because you realize just how much detail was added digitally. The end result is gorgeous and marks an enormous leap forward in visual effects. There are a few places where you can spot something that looks a little fake but at least 99% of this film looks real.
Not only does director Alfonso Cuarón create a nearly seamless visual extravaganza, he also employs the 3D format in a way that adds weight to the story being told. I don’t think 3D is essential to telling this story but the added depth of 3D really hammers home just how distant and isolated Stone and Kowalski are from Earth and anyone who can save them. It also enhances a few of the scenes where Stone is fumbling along the outside of a space station or spacecraft trying to achieve her goals. Cuarón likes to put long takes into his films and have the camera follow one character or drift between cameras for minutes on end without cutting. These sequences where the camera follows stone as she maneuvers around and along things are also heightened by 3D.
For a film firmly rooted in science and the here-and-now, Gravity has a moment that is open to debate. Late in the film there is a scene that can be interpreted two ways. It can either be scenes as a biological/physiological phenomenon or it can be interpreted in a spiritual way. I can’t say any more than I already have without spoiling things and I strongly encourage you to see this movie. I appreciated this scene and interpreted it the way my own way. Some may complain that this moment is something of a deus ex machine but I find it beautiful and touching. Without it, Stone’s journey is not complete.
Much like the Lord of the Rings movies did a decade before, Gravity sets a new standard by which to judge visual effects in films. It is also a hair-raising nail-biter that blasts your body with multiple adrenaline rushes. It took me at least an hour to recover from watching this film. All praise is due to Alfonso Cuarón for creating the technology necessary to will his vision onto the big screen. The fact that this film was a technical, critical, and box office triumph shows that Hollywood hasn’t completely run out of ideas yet. I can’t wait to see what Cuarón’s got in store for us next.
RATING: 4.25 out of 5
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