Gravity:What's it about?Alfonso Cuarón's awards-gobbling sci-fi about an astronaut stranded in space after a deadly encounter when space debris destroys their shuttle.
Who would I recognise in it?Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris (
voice).
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?Cuarón is known for his long takes, and
Gravity is certainly a pinnacle of this approach. The opening shot is roughly twelve minutes long and goes from the calm tranquillity of space to a chaotic disaster with such sure-footed direction that it's hard to comprehend the sheer effort that went into producing it. Films have a usual pattern of editing - you expect the film to cut to a different angle sooner or later and at regular intervals, and so there's a sense of safety and artifice there for the viewer. However, when a take lasts longer than expecting without cutting - and continues on, and on, and on - the viewer begins to believe the events are real and get wrapped-up in them. As such,
Gravity is one of the scariest thrill rides out there - a proper bum clencher - it's sweaty palms time in a big way. Visually the film is stunning, but the dialogue can be a bit too functional and plain at times, however the story itself is well realised, combining edge-of-your-seat action and peril, with broader themes of birth, life, death, and re-birth.
Great.
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