Gravity is the latest critically acclaimed film from Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron. With a minimal cast of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, both in the role of NASA astronauts, the film tells the story of a disaster in space where the two astronauts are left adrift in space after debris from a disintegrated satellite causes a chain reaction of collisions with other space satellites. Even though the plot might seem outlandish, it is in fact based in a scientific hypothesis (called Kessler Effect) which predicts such as situation can actually happen. When their space shuttle gets shredded by debris and communication satellites get taken down too, leaving no way of contacting Earth, the two astronauts have to use their own wits to survive as long as they can.
Gravity is a film truly enjoyed in 3D, to capture the full effect of zero gravity so exquisitely captured in this film. The desolation and beauty of outer space is accentuated by the carefully-planned 3D shots and judicious use of dead silence in the soundtrack. The writers (Cuaron and his son) get the balance between the human aspect of the situation and the technical realities behind a story just right. I wouldn’t be surprised Gravity is a shoe-in for at least a couple of Oscars this year.
Make no mistake: this is a serious film with slow plot development that might turn many moviegoers off. Yet, if you are willing to look past that, it’s a brilliant film about the brave men and women who risk their lives in outer space for broadening the horizons of human knowledge.
Rating: 4 / 5