“Zero Gravity” or “The Quest for Gravity” might be more
appropriate titles for director Alfonso Cuaron’s (Children of Men) stunning
outer-space obstacle course of a movie. But maybe Cuaron was going for the
double meaning in his one-word title to symbolize his setting of the beauty and
strangeness of weightless space against that cold vacuum’s hostility to life. Gravity’s space is breathtaking, but
also a place where danger is only millimeters away… and most grave.
The skill and technique with which these two – the
spectacular and the terrifying - are combined in this film are rare… maybe even
unique. Cuaron's Gravity is an epic spectacle,
obviously taking a nod from Kubrick’s iconic 2001 Space Odyssey in its use of imagery
in place of traditional narrative or dialogue. But Gravity is even more stunning and balletic than 2001 in its framing
and choreography. The long opening shot moves us toward a space shuttle, a
piece of the blue globe earth and its sun glistening behind… pure silence is finally
broken by the faint sound of communications between working astronauts. The film’s
opening scene is truly glorious and I felt it almost a shame when my silent trance
was broken by human voices. Sandra Bullock, playing Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical research
engineer on her first shuttle mission, is speaking to George Clooney who is mission
leader astronaut Matt Kowalski. If you can’t picture Bullock as an astronaut,
that’s ok because she’s really not in this one. She’s a novice, on board to implement
and oversee experiments she designed back on earth. Clooney’s Kowalski, on the
other hand, is an old vet on his last mission and looking to break the combined
mission space-walk record in what appears to be a routine workday in the
void. As Bullock’s Dr. Stone struggles with the weightless work environment,
the gallant and self-assured Kowalski putts around the outside of the shuttle
in his jet pack telling stories about his glory days, fast cars, and fast times.
Early, Clooney teeters precariously close to a caricature of a G.I. Joe action
figure with his phlegmatic Kowalski, but it works here somehow and fortunately the
quick-arriving chaos forces a more serious commander before he becomes distractingly
corny.
You already know from the trailers that the shuttle they’re
working on is destroyed, leaving the astronauts marooned in space – even
Houston falls silent in the initial mayhem. What follows is a Rube
Goldberg-like chain reaction that poses increasingly more treacherous and
impossible challenges to our space walkers and their rescue. The trip is truly stunning,
heart pounding… griping. If you go, be prepared to find yourself gasping for
air along with Stone as her suit oxygen level drops slowly… 10 percent… 5
percent… gone – or twisting in your seat to help her grasp on to a passing hand
hold. But know that Gravity is first a real-time disaster movie and foremost a
visual experience. You’ll not find the cerebral and supernatural elements of other
acclaimed sci-fier’s such as 2001, or
Solyaris, or even last years Prometheus. Gravity will not give you a
point of view on man’s purpose or origin – it simply pits the possibility and
will to survive against the seemingly insurmountable barriers of a magnificent
but completely foreign realm. The film does have poignancy, however, and is
strongest emotionally when conveying the human need for anchor and the power of
the concept and the hope of going home. It’s just that these more ethereal
points are no match for the awesomeness of what is pictured on the screen.
Watch Gravity three dimensionally. I suppose you can’t be
disappointed in this film whether it has a z coordinate or not, but the imagery
will have more weight and depth (literally) if you’ve got the glasses on. You’ll
find Bullock and Clooney are fine of course – playing to type. And you may find
Gravity more substantial emotionally
than I did. But it doesn’t matter either way… you’ll be glad you bought the
ticket. 8.5 out of 10.
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