Gravity- Review

"Life in space is impossible."

The thought of being left alone to die is frightening for most people. As a social species mankind thrives on contact with itself. If one faces a situation where their connection to humanity (both physical and metaphorical) is in danger of being permanently severed, it's scary to say the least. What could happen to you if you lost that bridge? Would you fight to endure and reclaim it? Is it possible to reclaim it once it's lost?

It is my personal belief that tales of survival are intrinsically part of human civilization/culture. Some of our oldest stories on record center around the topic of survival in some capacity or another. Considering our fundamental roots as a species, it's only natural that scenarios focusing on how to survive as well as people managing to persist against the odds would be so fascinating to us. Since the days of our early ancestors, we humans use stories as a means to explain/explore/better understand the world around us. Whether the story be fact or fiction, there is always some thread of "truth" one can find in almost any yarn.

In the case of Alfonso Cuaron's latest film Gravity, the story is fiction, but tells a very real human tale. I'll be completely honest, Gravity may be one of the best movies from 2013. Although I do love some of the other !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!! movies of that year, Gravity is perhaps the most visually and emotionally captivating of them all. While I do feel the movie falls onto some very familiar storytelling cliches' I think the picture provides a much more human and (no pun intended) down to earth perspective on them.

Medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone is on her first space shuttle mission aboard the shuttle Explorer. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski commands the mission, as the duo perform maintenance checks on the Hubble Telescope. During their spacewalk Mission Control in Houston warns the Explorer team of a Russian missile strike on a defunct satellite, creating a massive debris field that is heading their way. The team aborts the mission and starts procedure for reentry to Earth, but they are too late. High-speed wreckage pummels the Explorer, detaching Dr. Stone, and sending her tumbling through space. With almost nothing to aid her, Dr. Stone's struggle to survive begins.

In a lot of ways Gravity doesn't really tell its story through conventional methods. To me, it more so details a very nasty "What if?" situation., albeit with some civil liberties taken on scientific accuracy. In essence the best way to describe Gravity is to say that it's Murphy's Law the movie. It's because of this aspect of the storytelling that Gravity feels somewhat fresh in its presentation and provides an interesting perspective on its characters and the conflicts they face. There is a very real and tangible quality to everything Gravity presents to the viewer that is both fascinating and frightening at the same time. For instance, during the opening segment, space is seen as this vast ocean of stars that is awe-inspiring and breathtaking to behold. Once things go pear-shaped though, space suddenly becomes this claustrophobic death trap bent on destroying the very essence of your soul.

The dichotomy of the beauties and the dangers of space translate flawlessly into Gravity's visuals. Make no mistake this is where Gravity is truly at its best. The camera moves with such fluidity and grace as it tracks the action that it really does feel like you're almost there with the characters as they try to survive. The atmosphere of being inside of an astronaut's suit, the sensation of weightlessness, and the physics of floating in zero g all have amazing conveyance. The special effects are topnotch throughout and portray every detail with painstakingly minute care. Even something as simple as Dr. Stone traversing the corridors of the International Space Station becomes this incredible spectacle of cinematography that is sure to set standards for future films. Special mention I feel must also go to the 3-D. Gravity pushes the illusion of depth and the level of scale 3-D can create to new heights here, and one must simply witness it in order to appreciate it.

Believe me when I say that Gravity gets intense.

Of course, great visuals are not the only thing responsible for making Gravity such an impressive movie. The casting on Gravity's lead protagonists is essentially flawless. Sandra Bullock's performance as Dr. Stone is perhaps her best work yet and she sits as one of the most integral parts to the whole experience. Bullock brings such a human quality to her character that it is almost profound. We see her go through such a huge (but always believable) gamut of emotions that Dr. Ryan Stone may be one of the most human characters in cinema to date. Even with the likes of George Clooney (as Matt Kowalski) and his impeccable acting chops, Bullock still shines above everything else. If Dr. Stone had been played by another actress I don't know if this movie would've have worked as well as it does.

Sadly there are some old film cliches' that Gravity oddly enough does rely upon. From the outset we see three astronauts performing the spacewalk to work on the Hubble. Two of the characters are Caucasian, while the third is Indian. I won't go into spoilers, but I think you all know which character ultimately bites the bullet first once the debris field hits the Explorer team. Also Dr. Stone does sadly fall into the scarred women trope once things turn south while Kowalski is the level-headed guy with all the right answers for the situation. Now mind you, none of this is so egregious that it's outright noticeable from the start. In fact the movie does an impressive job of distracting the viewer from these cliches', but it doesn't change the fact that these tired tropes are still in use for such a groundbreaking film.        

Composer Steven Price does a fantastic job bringing the score of Gravity to life. If anything else the biggest shame is that there isn't a whole lot of music for Gravity. A pretty generous portion of Gravity is silent, with only the voices of the characters there to populate the audible spectrum. This isn't a bad thing mind you, as the silence is something that really helps to drive home the empty void that is space. Thankfully the music that we do have is more than appropriate when it finally kicks in. The track that plays during the climax is hands down the best piece of the score and compliments the action on the screen beautifully.

Gravity earns its accolades due to being an all around great experience in both its visuals and its characters. Even with its use of exhausted tropes, it still manages to feel fresh and exhilarating. At no point does Gravity let up on the audience, and I mean that in the best way possible. This is one of those rare few survival stories that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the opening shot, to the closing credits. I do have to agree with my peers when they say that Gravity is a surefire winner that has without a doubt set a standard for the medium.

Positive Factors

• Presents a situation more so than tells a story, making for a fresh feeling and perspective.
• Topnotch visuals that perfectly convey the beauty and the danger of being in space.
• Perfect casting for the protagonist. Hands down one of Sandra Bullock's best films.
• Great use of sounds and silence, with a fantastic score that kicks in during the climax.

Negative Factors

• Use of old character cliches' that thankfully only become noticeable upon pondering the film.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!