Gravity is a movie about Science and Trust. Whether it’s a description, recommendation or execution of this movie, science and trust explains it all. Trust me, go see this movie and you’ll be amazed by the science behind it all. It’a akin to a wonderful magic trick where you don’t want to know how they did it, you just want to enjoy it. Although it’s so incredible, you'll want to know how it was made because the visuals are so unbelievable.
This is not a George Clooney movie. This is not a Sandra Bullock movie. This IS an Alfonso Cuarón movie. A more accurate word would be “production.” Cuarón is the captain of this remarkable movie and there is no doubt that this was a massive undertaking by hundreds of artists. An undertaking that few would choose and even fewer would succeed. Fear not, Gravity lives up to the hype.
Before I pontificate, let’s get the business end of this review out of the way. Go see this movie. Go see this movie on the biggest, best and truest IMAX 3D that you can find. The price of movie tickets go up and up, and many times spending money on 3D, IMAX or 3D IMAX is a complete waste of hard earned dollars. It’s usually just a way for movie studios and theaters to charge you more money. Gravity is worth the money. My price was $21 per ticket and it was worth every cent. You could spend $100+ for a ticket to Disneyland and spend all day going on each ride and you wouldn’t accumulate 90 minutes of actual ride time. Gravity is a 90 minute roller coaster that is just about as perfect of a ride as you could hope for. There is no fat on this movie. From the beginning credits you’re going up a 20,000 mile hill and you don’t stop until the final minute. Like every great roller coaster, there are moments where you can catch your breath, stabilize and then are sent on to the next set of twists, turns and loops. Unlike recent movies that try to be a “thrill ride” from beginning to end, such as Star Trek: Into Darkness, this movie does it right.
Both Science and Trust are key elements in this film and to the making of this film.
The Science in this film is obviously pushed. I’m assuming this film takes place in current or a near current time. This isn’t a sci-fi / futuristic movie. If all of what went on in this film were to actually happen, I’d assume everyone would be dead within seconds. If not by the events that took place, then the shitting-of-their-space-pants would quickly suffocate them. If I saw even one space rock fly by me at the speed of bullet, I’m taking off the helmet and going out on my own terms which would be as quick and painless as could be. Let’s move on from my fears.
The science of this movie is standard for a modern space adventure. Science is all around and is what makes the movie what it is. We start out with the line, “Life cannot live in space” (or something like that). It’s science that keeps the characters alive and what allows us to have a movie. The science of film making is the other meaning that I think of. The spectacle of this movie is the real science here. It feels like there are less than 25 “cuts” in this movie. That’s not to say there aren’t a few tricks that could be used to add edits but it seemed as though you were watching one 5 - 10 minute scene after another. Cuarón’s other film, Children of Men, has one of the best single shot scenes of all time. It’s the scene where Clive Owen’s character has to enter a run down hotel in the middle of firefight between insurgents and the police in order to retrieve the woman and baby he’s sworn to protect. It’s a ballet and whether you liked the movie or not, the sheer skill involved to pull off that scene is breathtaking. Well, times that by 20 and you’ve got Gravity. Every shot is a beautiful painting and you can tell that the 80 million dollar budget was poured into making this film look like the best movie ever created. “Spectacle” and “this is what movies are made for” are often thrown around too easily but this movie earns that type of praise.
The science, technology and skill it took to make this movie completely outweigh the on screen science. This movie is an unbelievable feat of movie making, which leads me to my second thought...
Trust. There’s an unbelievable amount of trust needed between the characters in this movie. What took more trust is from the movie studio to make this movie. My biggest question leaving the theater was, “How did this movie get pitched to the studio and how did it get green lit?”
There’s really no plot. There’s a story but there’s not a plot. Bullock’s character is the closest thing to an arc that you’ll find.
There’s no star to this movie. While Bullock was great and Clooney was Clooney, they were not the “stars” of this movie. The star of this movie is Cuarón and his production team. Clooney has about 10 minutes of face time and Bullock has the torturous task of being the main character. What she must have gone through was less acting and more like winning the world cross-fit championship.
The trust involved by the actors and even more so by the studio that Cuarón and crew were going to make a perfect movie is unimaginable in these days of box office tallies and actor recognition. It takes a tremendous amount of trust by two very well known actors to essentially do their job and not know how the movie is going to come out. Their acting was great but it was not going to be what made or broke the end product. The studio and its executives could not have imagined what the results of this movie were going to be. The 80 million dollar budget doesn’t fit into the current studio trend of mega-blockbuster or small indie-type movie.
I really can’t explain the movie in just a few words. It’s an experience. It’s not a perfect story but it is a perfect movie. By the end, you’ve travelled thousands of miles and you feel each one. You’re heart will stop, your breath will be taken away and at times you’ll feel queazy. It’s a spectacular ride.
I feel like I’ve told you everything it’s not. What the movie is, is great. Go see it. Get out of the house and see it on the biggest and best possible screen that you can. The trip, time and money you’ll spend is well worth it. Gravity is an awesome movie experience.
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