Gravity Movie Review.
By Brian Wezowicz
Why do we go to the movies? It certainly isn't for the noisy crowds and expensive concessions. We go to have an "experience," one that can't be duplicated anywhere else. Now, the "experience" isn't always the greatest. Moviegoers can be obnoxious, the theater could be too cold/hot, or the movie could simply suck. But the experience of seeing something truly magical can all but make up for the extraneous factors that may end up ruining a movie. For as long as I can remember, I have loved going to the movies. My earliest memory is seeing Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi. From that moment, I was hooked.
I love everything about going to the movies. I love the escape into an alternate reality for 2-3 hours. I love the characters, the sets, the laughs, the cheers, the scares... everything. The movies have always been my happy place. I love the "experience." Why am I spending all this time talking about the "experience" of going to the movies when I should be reviewing the movie I just saw? The answer is simple: Seeing to Gravity was the best movie "experience" I've had in 20 years. The last time I was this in awe of a movie was probably the first time I saw Jurassic Park. It's so full of wonder and originality that my words can't possibly do it justice.
Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), is a near flawless thrill ride that has to be seen to be believed. From the opening 12-minute tracking shot to the intense final minutes, this movie delivers on all levels. It tells the story of a team of NASA astronauts sent up to do repairs on the Hubble Telescope. The team is led by Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock in a brilliant performance for the ages), a medical engineer on her maiden voyage into space, and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney in full space cowboy mode) as her NASA partner. Shortly after they begin repairs, Houston sends message that a Russian satellite has exploded and is hurtling toward them at record speed. I won't ruin what happens next, but I will say that both Stone and Kowalski are left to fend for themselves in the vast emptiness of space. The race for their lives is as exciting and terrifying as anything done in Hollywood in a long, long time.
The title card at the beginning of the movie reads "Life in space is impossible." Yet Cuaron along with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and visual-effects wizard Tim Webber manage to create life in a world of emptiness while doing it in stunning 3D. You feel for these characters. You cry with them. You laugh with them. And ultimately, you scream with them. When the end credits roll, you will unclench your white-knuckled claws from your seat, and exhale for the first time in 90 minutes, feeling like you were there with them the whole time. I know what you're saying, "I can't stand 3D. It's just a cheap attempt by studio hacks to squeeze a few extra bucks out of my pocket." Believe me, I feel your pain. I hate 3D as much as the next person. But when a true visionary of cinema comes along like Cuaron (See also: James Cameron, Ang Lee, and Marty Scorcese), the results are truly worth it. See this movie in 3D, and see it on the biggest screen possible.
I give this movie 4/4 stars. I wanted to see it again immediately after it was over.
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