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Movie Review:
Gravity
By Gurpreet Hunjan
“Gravity” is not your average actioner; neither does it burst onto the screen with rapidfire cuts, nor is it filmed in the nauseating fad of a shaky cam. It slowly burns its way into the eyes of its viewers with an opening focused shot of Earth, however in the far distance, one can see an object emerge from the blue streaked horizon of our Pale Blue Dot, and with absolute subtlety, the space shuttle STS-157 surfaces with its gray metallic body gleaming, boasting Emmanuel Lubezki’s rich cinematography. This stand still shot which is surrounded with silence, tests the audience’s patience; however gradually prepares them for a stupendous film. As “Gravity” unravels before the human eye, one can understand the sheer scale of such a film: it is truly a monumental piece of art.
Gravity was released last October, however after nearly 7 months, I am still jarred by the thrill it gave me. I have been debating for the past few months on deciding which film was ideally the “Best Picture of 2013.” I had managed to narrow it down to “The Wolf of Wall Street”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Philomena” and of course “Gravity.” The latter seems misplaced between the other three compelling dramas; however ladies and gentlemen do not be mistaken, as “Gravity” is essentially an epic drama that depicts the survival journey of a woman, not stranded on an island, however in the world of galaxies and star fields: space. Due to the technical achievements of “Gravity” along with Ophülsian camerawork, I veered my decision towards “Gravity” despite my soft-spot for Scorsese pulling me towards “The Wolf of Wall Street.” So here I am justifying my reason for choosing ‘Gravity.”
Transforming the green screen landscape into a panorama of stars and planets is the stellar CGI crafted by Framestore, a British VFX studio run by Tim Webber (the lead CGI artist). The movie is essentially 80% CGI, however I personally could not tell reality and technology apart, it was all edited so swiftly and adeptly. I vividly remember a scene in which a wave of debris rushes towards the space station with Dr. Stone and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) gripped with fear, and within seconds the shuttle rips to shreds, dismembering the space-walk arm and the cluttering space with shards whipping around our panting protagonist. This particular sight of destruction demonstrated the scope of the VFX team as they generate millions of particles that contrast with the dark voids of space. Her life literally spiraling out of control, and accompanied by an intense booming soundtrack orchestrated by British born Steven Price, the blood rushed in my veins with intensity and fear for Dr. Stone.
The soundtrack is quite diverse and different from your average blockbuster angry ship horn (popularized by Hans Zimmer). “Tiangong” is particularly my favorite track of the OST, as it possesses mechanical sounds of a space shuttle, setting a unique sense of environment and surprisingly has epic horns which supplement a feeling of optimism. In the brief moments when Dr. Stone is secluded from the rest of her crew, one feels suspense oozing from the screen. These are also many opportunities that are allotted to Bullock to vaunt her Academy-Award nominated acting skills.
All in all, “Gravity” is a visually razzle-dazzle film that has its weaknesses found in the script, however that letdown is expertly handled by a great performance by Bullock and Clooney and of course the epic visuals of devastation accompanied by a track that is undeniably atmospheric. “Gravity” is to the core, an “art-film” that has somehow found its way into the blockbuster market; earning approximately $720 million.
Verdict: This survival space epic is best experienced in the astounding format of IMAX.
Rating: 4.5/5
Alfonso Cuarón spearheads his film with great confidence and this time aroundhe is in full auteur form. The story for “Gravity” seems simple, however there are underlying Kubrickian themes that tell a story of cosmic re-birth and the beginning of evolution. The direction however is quite heavy handed with the camera constantly creeping through windows and little space shuttle gaps; despite this is the beauty of Cuarón which also defines his love for the Expressionist Movement.
“Gravity” is no “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and isn’t meant to be that, however Cuarón has crafted a 90 minute intimate drama that creates a bond between the audience and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock). The plotline is quite basic, possibly becoming a detrimental factor for the film attaining “classical status”, which focuses on Ryan Stone’s journey back to home from space. In short, the story progresses in a linear form, far from the narratives of Tarantino or Nolan; and as the story tirelessly moves on to the next set-piece, it becomes predictable and stale as it is reminiscent of “Cast Away” and the recent “Life of Pi.” Helmed by Cuarón and his son Jonás, the story is pathetic and basically is a meager excuse for getting to the next booming set piece of destruction, and defies all laws of physics along with its boring progression. However, the beautiful shots that Alfonso does manage to capture on the German powerhouse, Arri Alexa, with the aid of his adroit DP Lubezki, A.S.C., A.M.C., assist Gravity in becoming a visual piece of art that is dazzling and cements itself as an “art-house film.”
However, the breadwinners for the film are the digital artists that have created the staggering visuals and the dark world of space that engulfs the protagonist, Dr. Stone.