Gravity Review

Gravity

Reviewed by Mitchell Burns

Director: Alfonso Cuarón    
Starring: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

Please enjoy my completely non-spoiler review of this easily spoiled movie: 

I have to start this review by speaking of Director Alfonso Cuaróns past films. I had seen two of Alfonso’s movies before seeing Gravity: one, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was my favorite Harry Potter movie before the finale (Deathly Hallows: Part Two). The other movie is most definitely in my top ten favorite movies of all time, and that is the 2006 movie Children of Men. Cuarón has not made a single movie since Children of Men, that’s seven years I’ve had to wait for a follow up from this director. 

 

So the big question is… was it worth the wait? 

Stick around and find out.  Gravity starts out with silence, one of the most frightening aspects of space itself. Cuarón seriously considered shooting the whole movie without any dialogue, just music and sound effects; he was talked out of this by Pacific Rim director Guillermo Del Toro. Cuarón wanted to do this in order to represent how quiet space really is, but I’m glad he didn’t, and I think he achieved this order even with dialogue. Gravity’s first (of many) long takes starts with a view of the earth, and then slowly a space station drifts into view. The silence is soon broken by the sound of astronauts chatting over their radios; these astronauts are working on the space station Explorer. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is the one working on the space station while her colleague Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), an experienced astronaut, assists and monitors Dr. Stone’s progress. 

When an accident leaves these two stranded in space, they are forced to survive in an environment where humans aren’t meant to.

Gravity is a spectacular movie going experience; it will honestly leave you breathless. I can`t say enough great things about Gravity, really I can’t. I could fill this whole review with enormous amounts of spectacle and praise and it wouldn’t be enough. 

Gravity is Science Fiction thriller, when speaking of science fiction thrillers you may think of movies such as Pacific Rim, Oblivion or Star Trek; Gravity isn’t even in the same realm as these movies. Gravity is miles ahead smarter but it manages to stay thrilling, exciting and above all tense. 

Gravity will have you on the edge of your seat the entire movie and a movie cannot do that unless you’re emotionally connected with the characters. This is where most horror movies fail, why should you care about the fate of an unlikable character? Gravity presents us two characters with such engaging personalities and back stories, you care and worry about them every moment they’re on screen. 

Gravity is extremely beautiful to look at, jaw dropping with every scene. The long takes allow for the movie to unfold so precisely and exact, the plotting is generally perfect. The special effects are mesmerizing and the 3D is often dazzling. 

At first I thought Bullock and Clooney were almost distracting in the lead role, I wished for lesser known

actors so that I didn’t have to try and erase past Clooney and Bullock roles from my mind. After the movie, I feel as if I will have a hard time shaking these roles from my mind.  Clooney is ultimately just convincing, Bullock is obviously the stand out. She’s basically perfect for this role and I (now) couldn’t have imagined anyone else in her spot. An Oscar nomination for Bullock? Most definitely. A win? It wouldn’t surprise me.

Gravity is 100% worthy of an Oscar Best Picture nominations and win, but the Oscars aren’t generally favorable towards Science Fiction movies. Gravity is more akin to something like Apollo 13 then say Avatar, both of which were Oscar heavy weights. Avatar was nominated for Best picture while Apollo 13 wasn’t, But unlike both of those movies, Gravity has every aspect going for it and could/should be nominated in almost every category, Acting, cinematography, screen writing, sound editing, special effects and best picture. Gravity is the art of film at its best. 

Gravity is damn near perfect, a smart, tense, edge of your seat thriller that deserves every bit of praise and respect its director and actors are receiving. If I urge you to see one movie this year, Gravity is it; you won’t be disappointed; you’ll be speechless. 

My Grade: A+

Thanks for Reading,

Mitch Burns, The Hollywood Persona

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QUICK SPOILERS BELOW: 

I loved having Ed Harris as the mission control specialist, he’s great! So I guess there are three big actors in this movie! 

Not exactly a spoiler but like I said, the less you know about this movie going into it, the better.