On occasion, a movie comes along and just sort of mindfucks you. It’s a beautiful experience: the raised heartbeat, the jaw drop, the sheer joy of watching something so different and special. Even more rarely, it can be revolutionary (I don’t mean to be cheesy, but like it is a real feeling).
Obviously, the list of movies that do this is pretty small. However, I’m pretty sure we’ll see a mass agreement that Gravity should be added to that list.
I have no shame admitting that I audibly cried, trembled and cheered for Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski, respectively portrayed by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, as they attempted what is probably the most high-stakes cinematic journey from point A to point B.
The film begins with Stone, a medical engineer, and Kowalski, an astronaut, on a spacewalk. Geographically, they appear to hover somewhere over Central America. Clooney plays a variation of the cocksure character he is in more or less every movie, while Bullock’s character emerges as stoic and intelligent. It’s Stone’s first trip to space, and Kowalski’s last.
Soon enough, Houston has a problem. Space debris travelling the Earth’s orbit every 90 minutes hit their spaceship, the Explorer, and destroys the ship. Satellite communication is completely destroyed, and Stone and Kowalskii are left to assess the situation. After attaching to each other, Kowalski sets his stopwatch for 90 minutes, roughly when the debris is expected to return to their position. The pair then attempts to figure out, against seemingly insurmountable odds, how to return to Earth.
Even with a relatively simple plot, Gravity is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. By raising the stakes of a survivalist’s journey to astronomical proportions, Cuarón has made one of the most cinematic movies of all time. Contemplating the Earth from a few hundred miles in space reveals both how utterly vast and utterly small it is in the grand silence of space. Despite hearing explosions in the trailer, sound doesn’t carry in the actual movie. Sound doesn't carry in space, but most space-set movies work around this fact, probably due to the technicalities involved. Gravity, however, doesn't settle for anything less. Just another of its technical marvels.
Gravity is also, bar none, the most visceral movie I’ve ever seen. From opening to close, the briskly paced 90-minute movie had my heart pounding. Its suspense derives from the simplest acts – can they open a hatch in time? Can they escape debris in time? – but succeeds on its own terms through technological wizardry and pure cinematic amazingness. It’s a non-stop adrenaline rush.
It’s weird to think that Bullock nearly wasn’t Stone; various actresses including Marion Cotillard, Blake Lively and Natalie Portman were considered before her. Already garnering awards buzz, she could very well earn her second Oscar for her work in Gravity. Likewise, Robert Downey, Jr. almost played Kolawski. Who knows why they weren't considered originally, but Bullock and Clooney are at the top of their acting game here. Even though theirs isn't a love story, the pair's chemistry is palpable. This is all the more impressive because they were acting under very little visual stimuli – the entire movie was shot on soundstages and the scenery was mostly computer-generated.
I promise Warner Bros. isn’t paying me to sell this movie – it does have a few flaws. Bullock’s character has a backstory seemingly manufactured by someone in Screenwriting 101 (hint: it’s sentimental). Also, both Bullock and Clooney’s character arcs are extremely predictable. The script, by Cuarón and his son Jonás, could’ve used some work. But it's not like the movie is trying to be as intellectual and abstract as 2001; this is a purely visceral and cinematic film made possible by radical technological innovations. And the filmmaking here is so overwhelmingly astounding that it makes these minor flaws immaterial.
One more thing of note is the score by Steven Price. Alternating between M83-type dreamlike and unbearable suspense, between tranquil silence and overwhelming intensity, it hits every necessary dramatic note. This perfectly reflects the movie's portrayal of space as a sound vacuum.
I can’t recommend Gravity highly enough. Nothing like it has ever appeared on screen, and its projected success should solidify it as an innovative and revolutionary masterpiece. This is one instance where a movie needs to be seen to be believed.