If you happen to be like me and get motion sickness or are prone to vertigo, my advice to you before entering the theater is to buckle in and suck it up for the 90-minute ride of your life that you'll be sad to miss.
Every person here on Earth has taken a moment to look up at the black, star-speckled abyss above and wondered, "what could possibly be going on up there?" The pictures of Earth from space are beautiful and mesmerizing, why would anyone not want to go up there and experience that view? Go see Gravity and have these questions and more all answered in pulse-pounding detail.
So far, Fall-Winter 2013 has been a pretty successful season for movies given the extreme letdowns that we all paid to see this past summer. As the number one movie in the world and one of the most advertised films this year, it is hard to live up to hype the way Gravity has. Not only does this movie have the most extravagant, complex, and clear visual effects of any other film in recent memory but it also challenges both Newton's Law and Murphy's Law trouncing anything we have ever experienced. When Captain Edward Murphy of the United States Air Force first coined the phrase, "What can go wrong, will," back in 1949 I'll bet he was talking directly to Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. I mean, after the hell that they go through dealing with the complete unknown, Murphy couldn't have said that for anyone else.
You know what this is about, you've seen the movie posters along with possibly the scariest film trailer I can recall in recent memory. Space is deeper than any ocean we can fathom and even more infinite than Einstein's imagination. For an hour and a half, you get to be trapped in it, wearing a space suit of course and (some) oxygen, but still...trapped. I guess being "trapped in the universe" is both an oxymoron and a paradox but nonetheless, Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) wrote and directed this mind-boggling adventure that's every bit of surprising as it is scary as hell. Taking the perfectly cast George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, Cuaron uses space as a conduit of the mind and body. His imagery and superbly crafted set is only a window into the endless phenomenon that makes up outer space and the human mind. Hey, you may just learn something new about astrophysics and about yourself as well.
Not only is this a great season so far because of the quality of films but even more so, the acting. Gravity is a great example of more fine acting by professionals that the public is all too familiar with.
"C'mon man, how good can acting be when you're just in an astronaut suit and flailing your arms in space?" To which I would reply, "I know, I know but hear me out."
George Clooney is dashing as always and probably will somehow make a space suit the next fashion statement that men everywhere will buy to look handsome. Playing a seasoned astronaut, Clooney has the calming nature and assertive leadership that will even keep you hanging on as you watch them float. But, as great as Mr. Clooney is, the sun shines a little brighter on Sandra Bullock. She is not as used to the whole no-gravity thing and breathes a little more nervously than her screen partner. She is truly in rare form here and this is absolutely a sign that she has not reached her peak of talent yet.
The rumors are true about how phenomenal the special effects are and even people like Buzz Aldrin, also known as the second human to walk on the moon, say that the real deal voyage into space is not far off from what Alfonso Cuaron has conjured up. I'm sure Gravity will rack up its share of awards and nominations but if the visual effects and Ms. Bullock go unrecognized, I will not be the only person to launch myself into the atmosphere out of frustration. Take my advice and relax, that's the key to hold onto the seat and not letting go. Grade: 8.9/10
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