Film and Television Editor Oliver Richards leaves the office to explore out of space for his review of Gravity
Gravity is a beautiful film, make no mistake. Director Alfonso Cuar├│n (Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men) and his cinematographer Emmanual Lebezki (Tree of Life) lovingly craft a vision of such, ahem, gravity that it is hard to resist. Co-written with his brother Jonas Cuar├│nÔÇÖs script is perhaps the only disappointment: the combination of a stargazing George Clooney and a monologue on the significance of life is a bit cloying. For the most part however Clooney, and the real star of the show, Sandra Bullock do a good job of carrying the filmÔÇÖs heavy subject matter.
Cuar├│nÔÇÖs film, unlike Terrence MalickÔÇÖs Tree Of Life, does not aim to intrigue your moral compass or posit questions about the universe of life-changing grandeur. Gravity instead, in a similar fashion to Danny BoyleÔÇÖs much underrated Sunshine, aims to construct a tense and gripping world leaving both its characters and audience breathless. This is best achieved in sections that combine an excellent score, clever sound engineering and the inescapably beautiful cosmic landscapes shown in deep and effective 3d. In moments such as this the closing of an airlock is preceded by a booming swell of noise which dissipates in such a manor that will leave more than a few thinking they have just experience a pressure change.
This suspense gradually creates a vice-like grip that, regardless of┬á corny lines and some too earnestly heart-tugging exposure, is difficult to escape. Whatever you think about spending 90 minutes sharing a space helmet, and the camerawork seamlessly creates this symbiosis, by the filmÔÇÖs conclusion you will be heaving a heavy sigh of release and sucking in as much breath as you can find in the theatre. As far as modern cinema goes, for all its obvious turns and techniques, Gravity creates a true experience. Something that is often missing from blockbusters.
Quench Verdict: 4/5
What did you think to Gravity? Was it out of this world or did it struggle to get its feet off the ground? Let us know in the comments section below