“Gravity” – Movie Review

Should you watch this in 3D? No.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.

Secret ending? No. (Why would you expect one?)

Running time: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)

“Gravity” is a sci-fi thriller/survival film set, literally, in outer space, directly above (or is that below?) Earth. A pair of astronauts are stranded in outer space, within view of Earth, and must somehow make their way to safety. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

I liked it. Of course there are the inevitable comparisons with “Buried,” but I think the visuals are more interesting for “Gravity,” plus it is in space. Outer space and dinosaurs are the two universal things that all males like.

So what was good about “Gravity?”

(Image from Space.com)

Metaphorical images

I like the visuals. There are several scenes where Sandra Bullock is in a foetal position, which ties in nicely with her back story being about the life and death of her daughter. The part at the end where Sandra Bullock “stands on her own two feet,” echoing that same line said a few times by George Clooney. It’s not just all pretty CGI, folks!

The sound

Or lack of it thereof. It really emphasises the fact that it is utterly silent in space, which gives rise to three effects. First, that we’re so used to loud sounds accompanying dangers, such that when giant pieces of shrapnel silently fly toward you, it adds an additional level of fear to the other obvious possibility of evisceration. What else could be headed towards you, unknowingly?

The second effect is that the music plays a much larger role in conveying mood and emotion. The score is one thing – there are many parts of the movie where the music rises in intensity and volume, to underscore the horrors that Sandra Bullock faces. The lack of sound provides an impact that no amount of music or other sound effects could ever create.

Special effects

The camera angles, CGI space stations and Earth, and again the lack of sound reinforce the helplessness in space, where the absence of the eponymous gravity is truly terrifying.

Pacing

The plot is pretty fast-paced – setups and payoffs come pretty close together, rather than being space apart. This prevents the movie from drifting off into a melancholy monologue, since there is a severe paucity of characters due to the premise of the movie. Non-stop entertainment and horror!

Fan service

Yes, this is shallow. There’s a good deal of Sandra Bullock fan service. She really got into shape for this movie, I must say.

Character development

Sandra Bullock’s character shows tremendous growth, from being a whiny, dependent girl to a tougher, stronger woman. And this is critical to the plot – without her evolution as a character, she would not have been able to survive this trial in space.

(Image from Scified)

The movie is not without its flaws though.

Sandra Bullock is whiny

The aforementioned character development of Sandra Bullock didn’t come without a cost – she is rather dislikeable and irritating in the first half of the movie. Not so much that you lose empathy with her, but enough for me to be annoyed with her weakness.

Deus ex machina

The climax of Act 2 basically has a “it was all a dream” kind of resolution. It’s not brilliantly executed (too many giveaways that it was a dream) and it is a bit of a letdown. Still, it does show that Sandra Bullock has an innate desire to live, contrary to what was presented earlier.

Forgettable character names

I call the two main characters “Sandra Bullock” and “George Clooney” all the way in this review, so this pretty much shows you how memorable their names are. Though given the fact that there’s not much reason for them to be called by their names most of the movie, it’s forgiveable.

(Image from Space.com)

“Gravity” is a pretty good flick. I haven’t heard anyone disliking it yet. If you’re into a thriller (not a horror), Gravity is certainly worth your dollar. I don’t think there’ll be many people left on our sunny island that hasn’t watched it after a month or so.