Gravity (2013)

- "2001" in 2013?

If you ever wanted to be an astronaut as a child or if you are still dreaming of flying around in zero gravity then now you've got the chance!

The opening of Gravity alone is worth the way to your multiplex. It will immediatly draw you into the film with its extraordinary imagery. From thousands of miles above we get a view on our little planet earth while a space shuttle is slowly emerging out of the infinite vastness. The film is an utter triumph of movement, camera work and direction. The first fiveteen minutes of the film - approximately - is indeed one long unbroken tracking shot with the camera endlessly revolving around the space shuttle while introducing us to the crew members. In front of stunning sceneries when the sun is rising up behind a planet or the black starry sky, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr. Ryan Stone are doing repair work and further adjustments.

Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, is an astronaut rookie. Despite her training in the simulator the specialist has quite a hard time to adapt to the new environment. Her assistant however is an expert who is just about to mark a new record for the longest space walk by a human being ever, before finally returning to earth. George Clooney played a lot of cool blokes, but here - in zero gravity - his performance is as relaxed and laid back as ever. His character is an astronaut veteran and a space junkie who loves every second in these spheres and always stays calm und rational even under extreme circumstances. Via radiocommunication he constantly is doing smalltalk and jokes with the rest of the team while joyfully steering his jetpack. The camera is observing the scene, elegantly floating around from one character to the next. Just like any other object it is more drifting by than following a clear line. It's masterful camera work and definately a top candidate for the "Best cinematography" academy award. Most of it is done in very long takes which genuinely creates a feeling of really being right out there with the other spacemen. The 3D is the best since "Life of Pi" and for once I would advise you to pay the extra money, since this is probably the perfect setting for its use. The endless void really enhances the feeling of being lost in the middle of nowhere.

When mission control sends a warning, the beauty and comforting ease this place has to offer is turned into a feeling of danger and claustrophobic loneliness in deadly silence. Few minutes later the wreckage of a russian satellite crashes into the shuttle with a speed of several thousand miles an hour. It's only the first of many action scenes and a true rollercoaster ride as things get torn into pieces and the astronauts are spinning around without any control. This is even intensified by extended POVs. We witness the panic first hand and it really made me feel dizzy after a while. So for people with a weak stomach, this is a sincere warning!

After this fatal incident Bullock and Clooney, as the only survivors, start their way to the next station to return home. To be frank, the plot itself is not very interesting. Instead it follows common disaster movie patterns with obstacles like running out of oxigen or fuel and technical difficulties. It works well for the first half of the film but got a little repetetive towards the end despite its short 90 minutes of running time. Also there is a countdown concieved as a suspense element that - for me - did not really work. Here the editing seems to get in the way of the drama because with so little cutting it often does not feel like a lot of time is passing by. Moreover the backstory for Sandra Bullock's character is rather obviously written and only explored briefly. But it's enough to make her journey an evolving arc.

So what makes the movie is primarily its breathtaking visuals and its atmosphere that really gives a sense of immediacy and let's the audience participate in the nerve-wracking trip. It's definately not Stanley Kubrick even though it naturally owes debt to the visual style and sound scheme of his visionary "2001: A space odyssey" from 1968. Nevertheless there is one particularly awe-inspiring shot in the last scene which picks up on the idea of evolution. It's kind of an inversion though since we start in space and move back to the origin. Rebirth is established as a theme earlier in the film as well, when Sandra Bullock drifts like a baby in one of the shuttles - another Kubrick reference, I guess. But these are spare moments. Storywise the film does not reach quite as deep as its looks suggest.

But never did we get this close to an immersive space travel experience before. If you don't wanna wait for a time when flights into space will be a possible and affordable service to everyone then you have to buy a ticket for "Gravity" now.

TRAILER:
Watch the Trailer for "Gravity" on Youtube