Gravity (2013)

Poster design by The Refinery

Gravity is a film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Sandra Bullock plays Mission Specialist Ryan Stone and George Clooney plays veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski. The film is about a space mission, in which Stone and Kowalski are sent to the Hubble Space Station in order to service it. While Bullock is working on the station, they are informed by their Mission Control that a Russian mishap involving a missile strike on an obsolete space station caused a cloud of debris that is orbiting around the earth at their altitude. This event changes the entire course of the film, without giving away any spoilers.

I think it is important to note some interesting facts about this movie. It must be first stated that 80% of this film was CGed, which is comparative to James Cameron's 60% in Avatar. Gravity was awarded 7 Academy Awards at the 2014 ceremony, one specifically being awarded to its achievement in visual effects. Due to the heavy reliance on computer generated visuals, Sandra Bullock was often strapped into a rig for 10 hours at a time, a rig that was used to simulate her actions in space. This aspect of generated visuals only further insists that Cuarón was extremely dedicated to the idea of realism when depicting space travel.

There are some inaccuracies to be noted, however, inaccuracies that I would argue do not detract from the film as a whole. Some of these inaccuracies are as follows:

• Stone is never shown wearing ventilation garments

• Kowalski would only have had to have been tugged back in by Stone, instead of unclipping himself from Stone

• Stone's tears wouldn't have floated off of her face, but instead stuck due to surface tension

These are only a handful of the few inaccuracies that were noted about the film, those being noted by Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronomer Phil Plait.

I enjoyed this film immensely. I was initially hesitant due to my (questionably shallow) dislike of Sandra Bullock, but was pleasantly surprised with her performance, and the general master-fulness at which the film was shot. Overall, Cuaron created a masterful, realistic rendering of space travel, all the while grounding the film with worldly issues. As Gravity is a movie about rebirth, both Stone and Kowalski are faced with colossal danger in which they need to survive or overcome in order to overcome the chains and shackles of their past.

 As Stone is the main Character of this tale, her journey of rebirth is perhaps the most dominant storyline within the movie. The trials she is faced with directly correlate with the earthly problems that haunt her past. As she conquers each problem, she is one step closer to closure. As the film is a mere 91 minutes long, the audience is left begging the question whether or not Stone's ordeal in outer space is enough to help her through the reality that awaits her on earth. Without giving away any spoilers, I believe there are certain moments in a person's life that are so traumatic and life altering that the things they might have faced in the past are ultimately altered in their present mindset.

Photo thanks to IndieWire

 The photo above demonstrates a pivotal scene. Bullock here is depicted as a small child within the womb of a mother. What could be more symbolic of rebirth than Stone curled like a baby in a womb?

I give this film an A rating and suggest it to anyone who might be interested in themes of rebirth and identity, or even those who might be curious about outer space.

EDIT: I recently received a comment where a reader showed interest in the reaction to the 3D version. As I haven't seen the 3D version, I did some quick research to find out all I could about the films release in 3D. 

All that I found showed that Gravity was always intended to be shot in 3D and IMAX and that the reception was almost entirely positive, aside from a few outliers. Gravity is currently the third film worldwide in terms of revenue grossed from IMAX 3D showings, third only to The Dark Knight Rises and Avatar. It was released in 330 IMAX 3D theaters in North America alone. Gravity has been lauded as a film made specifically for the IMAX experience, with "the crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio creat[ing] a unique environment that make audiences feel as if they are in the move." Basically, Gravity's images and audio effects work in perfect sync with the IMAX technology. With the money grossed in IMAX showings alone, it can be seen that audiences went specifically for what the film was made for, the IMAX 3D experience.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/02/07/gravity-passes-100m-worldwide-in-imax/