Gravity - Taking Life for Granted (Movie Review)

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video

On an outer space mission, Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut, are hit by high-speed space debris. As the situation gets dire, Stone, the lone survivor, rises to the occasion.

Ever since the first shot, for a long duration, it is a one-take no cut scene as the camera slowly pans around our characters and setting that seamlessly blends CGI and practical effects. It sets up our characters, their relationships and the setting. Which I found brilliant.

But as speeding and deadly debris attack our astronauts, the story introduces stakes within the story. One Astronaut gets his face smashed as a debris brutally goes through his face. 

Everything goes to hell and our astronauts separate. This is a survival movie. Where all the odds are stacked up against our protagonist and they have to keep going with the will power necessary can inspire us and this film is that. 

Our protagonist "Ryan Stone" is left to wander in space alone as her oxygen tank slowly runs out which adds a "time-bomb" aspect to it which is added to the plot to add tension and suspense. In the whole movie, Ryan is mostly floating in space which makes us feel like we know what it feels like to be in space.

And when she reaches pods and removes the suit. her and we feel a sense of freedom and (literally) a breath of fresh air. Which gives us one of the most beautiful cinematic shots ever.

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are expectedly fantastic in their roles. George is, well, George as he played a handsome and charming fella and Sandra is person willing to live and face the obstacles in her path and keep going, which is why, in the end, she lives. 

The score is easily terrifying in a great way as it heavily supported the high point of tension in the film as the debris approached and caused nothing but messy chaos. It was reminiscent of Nolan films and Hans Zimmer's score with loud and bass heavy scores. 

Now the dialogue can get a little choppy and corny. But it certainly isn't distracting and as the story progresses, we get a slightly deeper look into our characters. Ryan's daughter died. She is called a "Ryan" because her father wanted a boy. Now this is a straight up thriller, not a character study. So it makes sense why it doesn't delve too much into this.

Even several POV shots puts us into the shoes (or in this case, suits) of our characters which can certainly enhance your experience of the film.

If you noticed, we never really see the earth. As in, what's going on inside it. Only until the end. Because we want to feel the nausea, the tension and the loneliness and vastness of space. And that I find genius.

But there are shots of the earth. Which helps us really take it in, process it's sheer size and how it overshadows the characters. How it really makes us feel something seeing a simple ball of gas. How it makes us realise that despite everything going on in the world, it is just one big home.

- 4/5

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