A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.
Expertly performed and technically flawless, Gravity finds the human pulse of the space age blockbuster.
A stunning technical achievement, Gravity is an immersive cinematic spectacle that proves hugely impressive on many levels. That said, there isn’t much in the way of thematic weight or ideas, resulting in a film that isn’t quite out of this world.
A stunning space saga that takes off for new technical frontiers without leaving its humanity behind. Ground control to Major Oscar…
It does spark with ambition, and often it is a thrilling physical experience. Not a giant leap perhaps, but a small step forward.
Pop quiz, hotshot: you’re cut loose 375 miles above the Earth, oxygen is running out, communication is lost, catastrophic satellite debris is heading your way and you have no hope of rescue. What do you do? What do you do? The answer is the film of the year.
This is the kind of film that 3D technology was made for, everything about its visuals are mesmerising.
In space no one can hear you scream. No one can hear your jaw drop either.
Overall, though, Gravity is awe-inspiring film-making with an originality and level of crasftmanship that leaves most other blockbusters looking leaden.
Digital imagery has never looked this stunning or hyperrealistic before.
Is Gravity very deep or very shallow? Neither. It is a brilliant and inspired movie-cyclorama, requiring neither gravity nor gravitas.
When was the last time a trip to the cinema filled you with awe and wonder? When was the last time you felt completely transported by a story that made you lose all track of time?
Simply glorious.
It’s a bumpy trip, with two voyagers carrying, some will argue, excess charisma baggage. But it’s a trip no space spectacle fan should miss.
Overall, despite the impressive technology on display and the technology behind creating the display this is fundamentally a human experience and I was very grateful to be walking home in the sodding wind and rain afterwards. I thoroughly recommend you see this on an IMAX screen if possible to get the full benefit of the experience.
For all the mind-boggling technical jujitsu Cuarón and his team doubtless had to master in order to make this work, what pulls you in is its deceptive simplicity, be it the accessibility of Bullock’s performance, the straightforward nature of the plot, or a just a carefully considered close-up.
It is, in the best sense, a fairground ride of a film, ideally experienced on the biggest screen available, sweeping you off your feet, turning you upside down, spinning you right round like a record, baby, before dropping you back down to Earth; wobbly legged, jaw dropped and appropriately light-headed.
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An astronaut's view on Gravity
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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