Gravity (IMAX 3D)

"Ground control to Major Tom..."

                                                 "Aaarrrgggghhhhhh- ooo, a penny!"

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón

CAST: American middle-class woman that cares about black people and a man who stares at goats...

PLOT: During a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock's Dr. Ryan Stone and George Clooney's Lieutenant Matt Kowalski are detached from the Hubble Space Telescope after they collide with debris, thus kickstarting their struggle to get home.

Now that I've caught my breath, what follows is a series of words and grunts that will try and do justice (and probably fail) to not only one of the best films of the year, nor merely one of the best science-fiction films of all time, but one of the best films of all time. 

Alfonso Cuarón previously said, and it's unclear as to whether or not he was joking, that he wanted to actually make Gravity in space, but studios (rightfully) wouldn't take him seriously due to the cost and the possible dangers for the A-list duo. Something for the future, maybe? Luckily that doesn't matter for now, though, as you could easily be tricked into thinking that this was genuinely filmed in space. The first few minutes could even pose as a documentary - albeit a stunningly cinematic one.

Bullock's and Clooney's performances are both magnificent; true tests in what actors will go through to capture performances so realistic. Often having to act on their own, Bullock puts in the performance of her career, and Clooney is a safe bet as usual, the sort of charismatic and calm voice you would want up there with you if you were to put yourself in the same predicament. 

But despite all of this, Cuarón is the real star. His vision to create something so monumental is both audacious and inspiring; not many directors would have been so far-reaching, but if anyone was to pull it off it would be the amazing Cuarón, who went as far to invent new shooting equipment with his production team in order to recreate what was existing in his mind. The first ten minutes or so is one continuous shot that will be enough to make many a viewer feel queasy, and accompanied by the fantastic CGI, you will be drawn into the film from there on in. This is a technical dream that will confuse not only film fans, but also filmmakers, prompting head scratching and question asking.

And that isn't all. Cuarón also manages to make the most impressive 3D film, ever. James Cameron needs to take a shit on his own face after seeing this, because there is not a better film at utilising the third dimension to such awe-inducing effect. Even with almost $150 million short of Avatar's budget, Cuarón and his effects team has set the bar high and proved that 3D may not be a gimmick after all. If 3D films looked this good all of the time, then it would be the preferred medium to view films. I for one cannot imagine seeing Gravity in two-dimensions (in fact, I could live with never seeing it again, as a television screen at home will never live up to the same expectations). See it in IMAX if possible because it really puts the grand scale of things into perspective; there were times when I was so engulfed by the narrative that I could imagine myself to be up there with the astronauts, especially in the opening scene.  

                                                     "No, this isn't Ellen Ripley..."

Some viewers have gone as far to criticise the constant dialogue coming from Bullock throughout the film despite the fact that she is often on her own. Defense is due for Cuarón and his son, as this choice is the correct one. It isn't expositional, it's sometimes character development, but it's always to add further feeling to the film. Imagine yourself in the protagonist's position: on your own in space, trying to survive a mountainous situation, with nobody to speak to. It's only natural that you would constantly speak to yourself in a bid to keep yourself sane, to keep yourself from giving up. Most people speak to themselves every single day when they are alone and performing the simplest of tasks. If you're trying to survive a cataclysmic event in outer space, you're going to keep on fucking talking to yourself.

And it's this feeling of isolation that serves the film so strongly. Never has there been a film that has represented space as true (I would imagine) as this - beautiful, peaceful, and very frightening, dangerous and empty, which is further highlighted by no diegetic sounds of rubble and objects colliding, accompanied by an almost perfect score that is unfortunately, only now and then, a little too overwhelming, namely in the final shot. But there's no cutaways to Houston, no cutaways to loved ones watching news reports, no cutaways to Earth. We stay with our protagonist in every single shot; this is our journey as well. Show future astronauts this film and they may very well question their career choice there and then.

Everything about this film is brave: the performances, the technicalities, the use of effects, and the beautiful cinematography and camerawork that incorporates unflinching long takes and POV shots that exists alongside the third dimension perfectly. Cuarón and co. deserve all of the plaudits. Believe the hype. See this before it exits the cinemas, there is literally no other way to witness it. This is what cinema is made for.

* * * * *