Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Warner Bros, PG, 91 Minutes.
Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s previous motion picture was the huge hit, ‘Children of Men’ made in 2006 was a sci-fi drama related to humankind facing the likelihood of its own extinction.
In ‘Gravity’ Cuaron has crafted a spectacular survival story in space which is simply out of this world.
Cuaron’s movie focuses on two astronauts, space scientist Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock – ‘The Heat’) on her inaugural mission and the veteran astronaut and space shuttle commander Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney – ‘The Monuments Men’) who is on his last flight.
But it is while carrying out maintenance to the huge Hubble Telescope during a routine spacewalk that both astronauts suddenly find themselves adrift in space after their space shuttle is destroyed by the debris of an exploding Russian satellite.
Against the dark, strange solitude of space Kowalsky and Stone are seen tethered together and hoping to reach the International Space Station before their oxygen runs out.
Despite there being only two main characters in Cuaron’s superb space adventure, it is Stone who is the mainstay of this thrilling survival story, showing her human spirit as she battles each catastrophe in the empty expanse of space.
In some respects, it excels her academy award performance in ‘The Blind Side’ and made her a worthy contender for another award at the 2014 Oscars.
At the same time Cuaron’s direction is impeccable, using to great cinematic effect (due to the brilliance of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) the darkness, solitude and space scenes, especially the stunning special effects.
Though some may compare this production to the cult classic ‘2001 – A Space Odyssey’, Cuaron’s highly enjoyable and inspirational ‘Gravity’ stands alone as a visual masterpiece and a tribute to the iconic space movie.
Furthermore, it is to Cuaron’s considerable credit and imagination that in using ‘space’ as a major character as well as later releasing his movie in 3D that he is able to provide a thoroughly memorable and moving viewing experience.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 ½ Stars
Gravity is to be televised on Channel 7 FLIX at 8.40pm on Saturday 2 October.
