Gravity (FILM REVIEW)
Gravity
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Astronauts Struggle to Survive Shuttle Disaster in Harrowing Outer Space
Thriller
Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) is
set to retire following a distinguished career as a NASA astronaut. The veteran
captain is currently in command of his final flight of the Space Shuttle
Explorer with a primary mission to replace solar panels on the Hubble Telescope.
Upon rendezvousing, the spacewalk proceeds
so routinely that devastatingly-handsome bachelor is comfortable engaging in flirtatious
chitchat with attractive Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a
medical engineer on her maiden voyage. But then Mission Control urgently orders
them back into the capsule because the debris field from a damaged Russian
satellite is headed in their direction at the speed of a bullet.
However, it
causes catastrophic damage to the shuttle before they have a chance to reenter it,
killing all their crewmates and destroying the vehicle beyond repair. Suddenly,
Kowalski and Stone find themselves floating in space, no longer in radio
contact with Houston,
and with a very limited amount of oxygen left in their tanks.
This is the
intriguing premise established practically at the point of departure of Gravity,
a gripping sci-fi thriller written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Pan’s
Labyrinth). What ensues is a desperate race against time in which the
unflappable Kowalski does his best to keep the frightened rookie calm while trying
to survive more by his wits than by the book.
The impromptu
plan involves using their thrusters to reach the International Space Station
100 kilometers away before the shrapnel returns upon completing another orbit
of Earth. This is just the first of many challenges to be faced successfully if
the protagonists’ are ever to feel solid ground under their feet again.
Rather than
ruin the plot’s unpredictable developments for you one iota, permit me to heap
praise on a pair of nonpareil performances by Oscar-winners George Clooney and
Sandra Bullock. Of equal note are the picture’s breathtaking 3D cinematography
and the magical way in which weightlessness is convincingly created onscreen.
Buckle up
for a relentlessly-riveting, roller coaster ride through a deceptively-close outer
space you can virtually reach out and touch!
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated PG-13
for intense peril, disturbing images and brief strong profanity
Running time: 90 minutes
Distributor: Warner
Brothers
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