Gravity

‘GRAVITY' is a marvellous space adventure!

It’s as jaw-droppingly spectacular as you’ve heard. It’s a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you right into the infinite realm of deep space. Not only is it technically precise, it’s an exemplary piece of art with immaculate acting, depth of thought and edge-of-the-seat thrills. It’s by far the most exciting science fiction adventure ever made.

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a brilliant medical engineer, is on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone. It’s then a struggle of courage and profound self-belief to overcome lethal obstacles to return to mother earth.

Gravity is possibly one of the greatest examples in recent years of how far cinematic technology can take us into experiences, both visceral and emotional, that most of us are unlikely to ever encounter. The cliché ‘edge of your seat' seems too mild for this exciting outer space thriller that combines technical magic with strong emotional pull. It transports you into the space, and you live each moment with the protagonists, carrying an equal fear of death all along. Director Alfonso Cuarón makes it look nonchalant in Gravity, creating exemplary sound design, breathtaking images and 3D-technology into a film that plunges the viewer straight to the heart of a sweat-inducing, pulse-racing nightmare scenario. I’m just wondering why it missed out on an IMAX release. As a viewer, it would’ve been just so much more simulating to witness all this in on an IMAX screen. The film excites you with astonishing visuals and an experience that is hugely moving and even, at times, terrifying. It is also a lesson on faith and the will to succeed, no matter how arduous the situations get.

The performances are flawless. Sandra Bullock gets reincarnation as an actor, delivering one of the most memorable performances ever, in perhaps the best film made in a long-long time. Her initial vulnerability and the tremendous transformation towards the end is both compelling and propelling. George Clooney on the other hand is his usual cool calm and impeccably controlled self. He gives the whole idea the panache that it deserved. His lines are crisp and his presence is magnetic and his act is spell-binding. Despite it being a Sandra Bullock show all through, he shines bright. Notice the scene towards the end, where Stone has a hallucination in which Kowalski appears outside, enters the capsule, and tells her to use the Soyuz's landing rockets. They compliment each other so brilliantly that you just can't take your eyes off them.

In all, GRAVITY is gorgeous and an unforeseen technological and technical triumph, much like the triumph of courage over fear of death that it advocates. You have to see it to believe all the hype surrounding it. Do not miss it!