Steve Reviews Gravity

In the summer of 1994, an up-and-coming Sandra Bullock starred in the movie Speed, in which she played a naïve character who is thrust into several consecutive unbelievable circumstances. It was a thrill ride of entertainment, and it set box office records.

Fast forward almost 20 years. Sandra Bullock, now an Oscar winner, stars in the movie Gravity, in which she plays a naïve character who is thrust into several consecutive unbelievable circumstances. It is a thrill ride of entertainment, and it set box office records. I won't spend the entire article comparing the two films, though. That wouldn’t be fair to either one.

Gravity takes place in space: a space where no gravity exists. Director Alfonso Cuaron included some information in the opening credits to remind us all that space is a vacuum, where no breathable air or sound exists – just in case anyone slept through the 8th grade. Interestingly, I read a couple different "reviews" before the film came out that said there was no sound in the first bit of the movie. This is not correct. There is sound. Those "reviewers" were told of the informative title card and misinterpreted it. So much for journalism. I digress.

Bullock is joined by George Clooney in this space thriller. He, a veteran NASA space-walker, and she, a scientific doctor with only 6 months of training. They are part of a space mission to install new equipment on a US satellite. I won't give anything away, but things go horribly wrong and the thrill ride ensues. It's a decent thrill ride, too, despite the un-believability of it all. The script is tight at just 91 minutes, and it sends the viewers on a rollercoaster of emotion – all with a stunningly beautiful backdrop. I can't say that everything in the film is scientifically correct. Even an amateur space enthusiast will be able to point out flaws. Despite that, it's a fun film, even if you roll your eyes a few times.

The beauty of the film is really in the cinematography. Unlike Apollo 13, where director Ron Howard actually took people into the air and dropped them so fast that it created 1 minute of weightlessness (yes, really), Gravity is all done with special effects, similar to those of last year's Life of Pi. The cinematographer and special effects department created a 20 foot-high light box which could project space images through over 4000 LED bulbs. The actors remain still and the space moves around them. It's so amazing, in fact, that it's hard to wrap your mind around. If you see the film in 3D (one of the first times I actually endorse you doing so), you will feel like you are IN space. This is worth the price of admission alone.

After garnering the biggest October opening of all time at the box office, Gravity has shot up on the list of Best Picture nominees. I agree that with the current format of "between 5 and 10" nominees, this is likely. I don't see it winning, though. What I do see happening is a pair of acceptance speeches by the cinematographer and special effects department. I'll go on record as of this writing to predict at least those 2 Oscar wins. A nomination in sound mixing and sound editing wouldn’t surprise me either. As you may recall, Speed won Oscars for sound mixing and sound editing, and life's just one giant circle, right?

-Steve
10.8.2013