Gravity (October 2013)

Official Australian release date: 3/10/13. Viewed: 3/10/13.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Actors: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Genre: Thriller / Sci-Fi
Rating: M.

I went into ‘Gravity’ with no expectations and this film gripped me and took me on an amazing ride, all in under 90min. And I certainly didn't see it in 3D! If you've seen the trailer and you’re wondering “how do they make a film out of an astronaut floating through space, when we've basically seen it all in the trailer?”, then all I can say is – go and see this movie, it’s definitely worth your time!

Compared to ‘Apollo 13’, which was dull and too drawn out, ‘Gravity’ doesn't stop to catch its breath once (nice pun!). It’s basically six major scenes/set-pieces, all in rapid fire, with Bullock & Clooney playing quite interesting characters, even though we only get a short time to learn about them. It works well as a sci-fi/space film – one of the major selling points is the beautiful shots of Earth from above – but also as a tense survival thriller/drama. How much can go wrong in 90min? You'll find out!

I particularly liked how there’s at least some scientific accuracy, such as when they’re in space/an airlock, it’s virtually silent (yes, “in space no one can hear you scream” – thanks ‘Alien’) and sound only filters back in as the air enters the vacuum. That and the fact that NASA would have a scientist working on the Hubble telescope, rather than a random engineer. ‘Gravity’ does virtually everything well – the isolation of space, the beauty of Earth, the terror of being trapped, the “would I still go into space if I had the chance?” and the emotional investment in the characters survival. I actually found myself on the edge of my seat a few times!

Overall: Excellent – the best film I've seen so far this year! Don’t miss it.

Gav's Rating: 4.5 stars.