Friday, October 11, 2013

Film Review - Gravity (2013)

Gravity is the new film from director Alfonso Curaron and stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as a pair of astronauts working on a satellite when word of a Russian attack comes through and causes an accident that leaves them adrift in space and struggling to get home.

I went into Gravity with very high expectations as I am a big Sci-Fi fan and like hearing the clarion call of the trumpet I felt compelled to heed the call and go and see it the first chance I could but alas upon release that chance didn't come.

But now the time had come when I could finally get my chance to go and see this film and as I held my ticket and waited for the film to start, I began to get more and more impatient "enough of this, give me the film I have waited for." I thought and did it deliver?

Like hell it did, this is both a terrific and terrfying sci-fi flick that is also for my money one of the year's best films, Bullock and Clooney are at near career best form here, both play off each other very well and Bullock nicely surprises in terms of handling the more dramatic scenes with ease and I also liked Ed Harris's very small role as well.

But the real star of this film is Curaron and he extracts EVERY. SINGLE. BREATH. out of his audience with his opening scenes of wonder at the world below that then seamlessly transition to moments of pure terror that had me on the very edge of my seat and feeling a little bit faint at times during the film and I was certainly very happy to breath the free air again afterwards.

But to extend on the tension of the film, Curaron also plays on the fears people have in life very well, fears of disaster, closed environments, fire and doom are fears people hold in their life in one way or another and this movie exploits those brilliantly, at times I thought I was watching a Sci-Fi/Horror film as the fear it creates is so well handled that you really feel it in a big way.

So all in all Gravity is a terrific and terrifying cinema experience that I am more than happy to recommend to anyone up for the ride but like a roller coaster some may feel bouts of sickness afterwards so please keep that in mind, 4 out of 5.

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