Gravity

There's probably more chance of my wedding reception venue being a fast food restaurant than me going into space. Indeed, I can't ever say I've ever wanted to strap myself into a metal tube and blast off into an environment which wants to kill me in every way possible. Space may be a fascinating and thrilling place and a space mission may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but, like a Somali cruise, I have no desire to go on one. And, after seeing Gravity, my mind has been solidly made-up.

Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It had a budget of $105 million and was produced by Warner Bros. It is strange, then, that despite these blockbuster credentials, the film seems to be a very personal, intimate affair. Many are describing the film as a work of science-fiction but, to me at least, there seems to be very little fiction. In fact, there's not an alien to be seen anywhere. The plot centres on medical engineer Ryan Stone (Bullock) on her first shuttle mission and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski who are the only survivors of an accident during a space walk. The pair, out of contact with Mission Control, must use all their determination and skill to try and make it back to Earth in one piece.

In many respects, this film has parallels with horror. I'm sure that drifting endlessly in space, with no hope of rescue would be most people's idea of a nightmare. From beginning to end, the film grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the very end. You'll leave the cinema feeling like you've been spun around in a washing machine and beaten about the face. The tight camera shots which focus on the actor's faces, framed by their space helmets is very claustrophobic and instils a real sense of fear in the audience. Director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) works masterfully with director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki to reflect, on a technical level, the thematic and narrative elements of the film.

The average shot length must be close to four minutes and the camera moves around with a fluidity and precision which makes the film very engaging. It was almost as if the studio had actually sent up a film crew into space. The special effects are breathtaking and I urge everyone to see it in 3D. Yes, I know I have voiced my personal dislike of 3D in the past but, when it is used in a film such as this, with subject matter and a setting which lends itself to stereoscopy (the arena of space), it is fantastic. Space has never looked so stunning.

Sandra Bullock's performance shines through and – whether you love her or hate her – there's no denying that she is very assured in the role and displays just the right balance between vulnerability and defiance in the impossibly-desperate situation in which she finds herself. Clooney...well, plays Clooney.

Alongside all the technical wizardry and jaw-dropping special effects (which are certainly ground-breaking), Cuarón's direction constructs an involving and thoughtful film. The thematic elements of the film will be the subject of much debate, partly due to its striking visual imagery. Sandra Bullock floating, foetal-like in an air lock or being umbilically tethered to Clooney during the space walk will certainly provide food for many a Film Studies student's essay. In many respects, the film's simplicity is born from the technical brilliance: the effects are so well executed that they become totally believable and you don't sit there wondering “I wonder how they did that”. As far as I'm concerned, they did do it.

Gravity is a tense and technically-wonderous film. Indeed, it is one of the best of the year and will make you fall in love with cinema all over again. It's one hell of a ride but hugely enjoyable and really rather jaw-dropping. It isn't, however, going to do anything good for the Space Tourist Board. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * * * *