photo: Warner Bros.
2/5 Stars
It’s been sending critics into a frenzy, hailed as the best film set in space since the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey and featuring two Academy Award winning actors as its leads. The teaser trailer released earlier this year gave little away, featuring Sandra Bullock’s cries for help as she floated through space, completely alone. Yet Gravity, a film that had so much seemingly on its side, fails to deliver in the spectacular manner that early press may have you believe.
Of course, the visuals are undeniably stunning, particularly in 3D. The world Alfonso Cuarón creates is a feast for the eyes, transporting viewers back to a time when space was still the great unknown. It’s difficult to be truly in awe given that this is the age of disposable media, yet the visuals here are enough to reduce the audience to children, wondering all over again what it would be like to see the earth from a thousand miles away. The sheer vastness and use of negative space help add to plot’s integral feeling of total isolation. This is as close to space travel as many viewers will ever get, but it somehow feels at the time incredibly real. If there was ever an argument for the use of 3D in cinema, Gravity is definitely it. Indeed if a film’s worth could be judged solely on cinematography and beauty, Gravity would be a tour de force. Yet unfortunately there is a classic case of all style and no substance at work. Cuarón may excel at creating a feast for the eyes, but it is difficult to invest in the plot and characters.
Sandra Bullock plays a quiet, unassuming doctor acting as a mission specialist, totally unprepared for the events that unfold, whilst George Clooney is the charming veteran on his final mission when disaster strikes. Bullock spends most of her screen time alternating between crying and hyperventilating; Clooney’s ‘calm under immense pressure’ attitude is comforting but mundane. Neither role really shows either actor’s versatility or depth, despite the fact that both are capable of more. The plot rings hollow, often reminiscent of a bad horror flick with its ‘what could possibly go wrong next?’ twists. Particularly disappointing is the film’s resolution, which feels incredibly trite considering the journey the film asks its audience to invest in. From a scientific point of view, there are also several discrepancies between the possible and impossible that are hard to ignore, particularly given the supposed attention to detail that was invested in the film.
Gravity appeared so promising on first glance: a competent director, strong leads and the tempting notion of a film about a topic that still fascinates many of us who once dreamt of walking on the moon. It is all the more disappointing then that this film should fall so short of the mark. It’s visually stunning but an ultimately hollow movie, easily forgotten when the stars fade from the mind.
Hannah Woodhead