Evening, film lovers! This post sees me talking about new space thriller, Gravity. Some may have seen director Alfonso Cuaron's name and thought Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Others may know him as one of the 'Three Amigos' of cinema, along with other Mexican directors Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth). Whatever you might associate him with, I would never have put Cuaron and anything space related together. However, watching this film has proved them to be a pretty good match. But, after seven years in the making, was it worth the wait? Read on if you're interested...
Gravity ultimately focuses on Dr Ryan Stone (the excellent Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and their fight to survive after disaster strikes in space. Up until that happens though, I must admit this film really does capture the complete tranquillity of being in space. I mean, before things get dangerous, it looks so peaceful - and the view of the earth is stunning. Although, Dr Stone's comment about how lack of gravity makes her feel like "a chihuahua being tumble-dried" makes the experience sound slightly less inviting. Also, I was a little sceptical about the film when I discovered that, despite hearing the voices of others, it really does only star Sandra Bullock and George Clooney - a lot like a two man show in the theatre. On the other hand, I've never seen a film quite like it, and I guess that having only two characters not only emphasizes the sheer hugeness of space, but also how dependant you are on one another when things turn disastrous.
Another clever element that really brought the film to life, apart from being in 3D, was that several sequences are shot from Bullock's point of view - most notably when she is in danger. This definitely helped to capture the dangerous situation that her character is in and certainly had me as an audience member feeling scared. What's more, Bullock's constant updates concerning her diminishing oxygen levels also had me desperate to find out whether her character was going to make it, and left me eager to discover how the film would end - and if you think that, then you know that you've seen a great film.
To finish, Gravity is not normally the sort of film that I'd go for - where space is concerned, Star Wars is usually about as far as I go - but I think it's so important in the world of cinema to get out of your comfort zone and go and see something completely different. You really will surprise yourself at what films you might enjoy. After seeing this, I'd certainly be open to trying more films of this genre!
Rating: 4 stars - visually stunning and keeps you on tenterhooks throughout - but perhaps not one for the claustrophobic, though.
Georgie
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