Gravity

Let's talk about Gravity.

No, not the law discovered by Mr. Newton in the 1680's, but the film directed by Alfonso Cuarón coming out this weekend. 

Critics are going crazy for this film. IMDB has given it an 8.5/10, Metacritic– a 97/100, and Rotten Tomatoes a 98%. So what are they loving so much about it? I'll have to see it to know for sure... but I'm guessing it has something to do with it's stunning visual effects, non-stop intensity, and rumored 17-minute opening shot.

With such stunning visuals, I feel like this may finally be a film worth seeing on the largest screen possible and, dare I say, 3D? I know there are a lot of haters out there for 3D, but if there's an environment that could put it to effective use it would definitely be outer space. It's clear that Cuarón thought long and hard about how to immerse the audience in the beauty and terror of being hundreds of miles above earth.

Before I go any further I recommend you watch the trailer. There have been a few different trailers made, but I think the first one they made is most effective:

DON'T FORGET FULL SCREEN

Not everyone loved this trailer, but it hit me on the spot. When I first saw it I thought it was some sort of space documentary, and I think that's exactly what they wanted. Then all of a sudden BOOM – NOT SO MUCH. Although they have sound effects of destruction in the trailer, I've heard that the film is scientifically accurate and contains no sound because there is no sound is space. All you hear is their voices over the radio and possibly

some dramatic music at certain times. I also think this will be one of the more impressive performances by Sandra Bullock. I know some people are skeptical, and I get that, because how great of a performance can she really give while strapped into a space suit while spinning in circles through space? But when something is stripped down to it's basic elements is when it has the opportunity for huge success. In this case, it's Sandra Bullock's vocals. Curón and Bullock worked for hours on how to capture the terror of flying through space with just the sound of her breath. When I re-watched the trailers with this in mind, I really think she nailed it. And what's so spectacular about it is that it doesn't stand out. I can't see her eyes or the sweat on her forehead but I know she's terrified. I'm not thinking about how I know she's terrified, I just know she IS.

The other element I really like about this film is the characterization of earth. Although it seems like there are only two main characters, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, I see it as three. The earth is moving, living part of the film and it's instrumental to the orientation of the camera. Very few films, if any, have done this before.

So in case you haven't figured it out yet I'm very excited to see this film. It has a fantastic director, quality actors, and state of the art visual effects. I'm quite sure it's box office sales will orbit above everything else this weekend, and it deserves it.

As a final piece to enjoy... The Onion made an entertaining review for the film: