When I was younger, I had dreams of being an astronaut. It wasn't so much being an astronaut, but rather being in space. I was a Star Trek fan since the third grade, and wanted to be a part of the Enterprise crew just for the magic of traveling between the stars. Reality, of course, sets in, and that became less and less feasible over time, but I still enjoy films that delve into the outer space realm. Gravity presents space something less magical and more terrifying.

There is no tangible villain in the piece. Only the vastness of space presents the constant danger to the characters. When a routine repair mission on the Hubble Telescope goes wrong, the movie morphs from a showcase of the beauty of outer space to a thrilling, exhausting, horrific story about survival at all costs. It takes you by the force of its grip and doesn't let go until 90 minutes later.

This is all the work of filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron (making a screenplay written by him and his son). His fingerprints are all over this film. The setup is simple: Astronauts Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) are 400 miles above the Earth to make repairs on the Hubble Telescope. Cuaron opens the film with his signature unbroken shot lasting between ten and twenty minutes without a single cut. The camera follows Kowalski as he floats around the Telescope and space shuttle as the two of them engage in the spacewalk.


Things appear normal until NASA Houston reports that the Russians have launched a missile which evidently hit one of their own satellites, causing debris to come flying towards the Telescope, astronauts, and everything else in orbit. The accident comes suddenly and becomes an unrelenting assault as the camera follows the astronauts as they spin around in orbit. Mainly, the camera follows Dr. Stone and is filmed from her point of view, but we hear Kowalski give her instructions as the accident plays in what feels like real time.



Suffice it to say: Being in space isn't ideal when even one little thing goes wrong. When a slew of things go wrong, the potential for disaster is high. The film is really focused on Dr. Stone's journey (if you can really call it that). It is her first time in space and Cuaron chooses to follow her as everything affects her. At various points in the film, it looks like there is absolutely no hope for her survival through the ordeal. She survives the initial impact, only to be met by a fire and the absence of a viable escape pod, then a loss of fuel.

Throughout all of this, Sandra Bullock probably does her best acting performance in years. There won't be a question of an Oscar nomination in her future. What's remarkable is that most of the performance is really a series of panicked breathing at the start then a general sense of despair creeps in as the odds become stacked against her character as time goes on. George Clooney is there some good chuckles, but that doesn't last very long. The separation of the two astronauts is a particularly painful scene to endure in a movie full of them. It's Bullock's task to carry the bulk of the film, and she does a very fine job.

I feel like I haven't given this film enough due. It's really good filmmaking, stylish without calling attention to itself. Visually, it's stunning. Gravity gives viewers a good reason to watch movies in a theater. The relative simplicity of the story belies all of the things it does right. The more spiritual aspects of the film may turn off some, but the tension and drama overrides that feeling. Kowalski isn't drawn as much of a character (Clooney plays it a little too cool for the dire situation they are both in) and Stone's backstory is also thin. To me, it enhances the bare bones storyline that the film is built on. I encourage as many people as possible to go see this film. You won't be sorry.