Here's the thing. Gravity may be one of, if not THE most beautiful, tragic, and emotional cinematic journeys I have been on this year. It. Is. Breathtaking. It is also terrifying. I could not find words after the credits rolled. If you have seen the trailer, you kind of know what to expect. But even that only captures a small percentage of the depth and weight Gravity carries with it. Ha. Irony noted.
It's hard to imagine this movie being anything but real. That sounds silly now but see it and you'll know what I mean. The visual effects will make your heart skip several beats as you float (or in some cases spin) through space with Earth and the stars as your background. When the film first begins, you are able to take it all in. You can almost feel the peaceful weightlessness of your own body as you watch a group of astronauts do their normal work. Turns out, George Clooney is charming, EVEN IN SPACE! But come on, what did you expect? Sandra Bullock is serious and sorta nervous. It's her first time. I loved this fact about her character. Since the average viewer is probably not an astronaut, it makes it easier to relate. Her first exploration is OUR FIRST exploration. It is everything you have ever dreamed of...until everything you've ever feared about being in space actually happens.
It is during these dizzy, terror filled moments that the film begins to show its most impressive qualities. It places viewers directly in the shoes of these astronauts. At one point we are seeing everything through someone's helmet which may or may not be the moment you throw up. But it is Sandra Bullock's character, Dr. Ryan Stone, that we are tethered to the entire time. Where she goes, we go. And she does an AWESOME job carrying the film. It is her emotion that allows us to feel the gravity (pun most definitely intended) of the situation. We are really with her...if she loses oxygen, WE lose oxygen. If she feels hopeless, we feel hopeless. She's that good of an actress. With such a gender neutral name, Clooney could have easily been cast as Ryan Stone while Bullock plays Kowalski. But as charming and handsome as he is, I'm glad he wasn't. My inner feminist is pretty proud of that. Woot woot! It was so amazingly performed that I cannot imagine it any other way.
SOOOOOO...I am serious when I say, GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's not too long, not too short. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time with a sense of impending doom. But in a good way, ya know? But not in a typical action movie kind of way. This is an incredibly realistic film in a setting that often seems beyond our imaginations. Some of the most beautiful moments are simply taking in the vast amount of space that fills the screen. But it's about so much more than all of that. It touches on the human will to survive of course. Where does that will come from? What keeps us from simply drifting away? So existential! lol
PS. I HIGHLY recommend seeing it in 3D Imax. I know, I know. It's super expensive these days, but I promise you, this is one of the rare films that it is completely worth the money. I have a great appreciation for 3D when it is used appropriately. And THIS my friends, is appropriate. :)
A+
No comments:
Post a Comment