Cast:
Sandra Bullock
George Clooney
After debris destroys their shuttle and cuts them loose, two astronauts must try to make it to another space station to get a shuttle home.
The cinematography of Gravity is beautiful. This is definitely one of those films that is worth seeing in IMAX and I’m so glad I had the chance to go when it came back in theaters. The effects and look of the film are gorgeous. There was one terrific shot that looked like one long continuous shot starting outside Sandra Bullock’s helmet facing her, then moving into her helmet and around to show her perspective then back out again. The effects and the cinematography of that shot were brilliant.
George Clooney’s confident, veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski offered some needed levity throughout the film. I really enjoyed the interaction between his character and Sandra Bullock’s Ryan Stone; there was a great dynamic between the two characters.
The only aspect of this film that was disappointing was character development. There was growth in characters, as Stone went from being ambivalent about life to wanting to live and survive. However, while I did want to see her live I didn’t feel any real connection to this character. In fact, I had to look up the characters names before writing this review because I could not remember them. Maybe it was the circumstances – the focus being on the suspense more so than the characters.
With so many of the other films in the Best Picture category relying heavily on character development, Gravity feels like the odd film out. I’m not sure it stands a chance of winning in this category, although I do believe Alfonso Cuaron has a good chance of winning best director because the film is beautiful.
Rating:
8.5/10
Favorite Moment: The above mentioned shot that goes in through Sandra Bullock’s helmet then back out and appears to be one shot. I loved that.
Nominee Ranking:
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Nebraska
3. Dallas Buyers Club
4. Gravity
5. Captain Phillips
6. American Hustle
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
8. Her
Not Another Dumb Blonde 