Gravity Review

    I have now watched this film three times, once in the cinema (on the biggest possible screen I could find), two at home, and each time it packs a punch. It taps into some of our most basic terrors and, to me, makes each of us look inside and ask "why would I want to live?".

    One cannot comment on this film without mentioning the jaw-dropping visual artistry of it. I am in awe of the special effects and art departments who I am sure put blood, sweat and tears into making every shot look almost palpably real. And the beauty it exudes, not just in the exquisite Earth views but in the small moments too (Ryan curling up into a floating foetal position, for instance). It is an expansive viewing experience, by its very nature, but to me the unending vistas only serve to intensify the claustrophobia of the situation: there you are, seeing the whole universe, and about to suffocate in your own exhaled breath.

    The story is simple and takes liberties with physics in order to work, but does so with an intrinsic respect for science. At its core, this is about survival, human ingenuity, and grit, whilst looking solitude and despondency square in the face. Can you think of many things more terrifying than the idea of slowly dying utterly alone? And how many of us have had moments where we found ourselves "just driving", a mere automatism away from giving up?

    But whether you see this as a mirror held up to humanity or simply as a thriller, one thing is undeniable: there would be no film without Sandra Bullock. Often forced to work only with her face, with long sections of film with little to no dialogue, she manages to convey every nuanced emotion Ryan goes through, be it panic, relief, acceptance, or sheer stubbornness in refusing to give up. And her biggest co-star (sorry, Mr. Clooney!) is Steven Price's Oscar-winning soundtrack. It sounds eminently modern, almost otherworldly, and keeps the tension at always just the right level - ebbing and flowing but always there - making the 91-minute run time exhilaratingly exhausting. And then brings us all into the final exhale of relief by using voice only in the last scene.

    All in all, a truly brilliant film for which Alfonso Cuarón deserves all the awards he was showered with (though the greatest prize I can personally bestow is to forgive him for Prisoner of Azkaban!). My only regret is that I didn't manage to watch it on IMAX when it first came out.

Conclusion: Absolutely! [what's this?]


Gravity came out in 2013.

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