Few movies have ever used 3D as more than just a gimmick. To make all that added eye strain worth it, a 3D film should at least attempt to use that third dimension in a special way that connects with the plot. For instance, James Cameron's "Avatar" made sense in 3D, because the plot of that film involved taking human beings and literally submersing them into an alternate reality. When Alfonso Cuaron and his son Jonas sat down to write "Gravity", they always intended it to be 3D because it worked so naturally with the story. I never say this, so this is a very big deal: see "Gravity", and see it in 3D.
The movie begins with an ominous warning: "At 600km above planet Earth, the temperature fluctuates between +258 and -148 degrees Fahrenheit. There is nothing to carry sound. No air pressure. No oxygen. Life in space is impossible."
We then join a deep space mission already in progress. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant engineer that has designed a new scanning system for the Hubble telescope. Lucky her, she got to make the trip and install her system in person. A novice astronaut, Stone is understandably nervous in the empty environment. Surrounded by darkness and separated from it only by her spacesuit, she is presently aware of the warning presented at the start of the film. Her Mission Commander, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), is a humorous foil to the uptight Stone. Space is old hat to him, though he still finds himself in awe of it. He zips around the space shuttle untethered, testing out a jet pack the boys at Houston whipped up for him. He tells silly anecdotes that Houston has heard before, but none of it puts Stone at ease. By the way, this is his last space walk before he retires. That's always a good sign in movies, right?
Suddenly, Stone's worst fears come true. Debris from an intentionally destroyed satellite is caught in orbit and is speeding towards their shuttle. Unable to get out of the way in time, the debris causes catastrophic damage to the shuttle, killing everyone inside and leaving the vessel inoperable. As this heart-stopping, nine-minute long opening shot ends, Stone and Kowalski find themselves tethered together, floating in the void. Kowalski's jet pack is low on fuel, but he just might have enough to get them to the International Space Station.
"Gravity" is a brilliantly made thriller that can literally take your breath away. Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki developed brand new technology in order to recreate the zero gravity nature of space as seamlessly as possible, and succeeded flawlessly. Using a blend of live-action, CG, and animation, Cuaron and Lubezki show us angles and techniques that were impossible before. The roughly nine-minute long opening shot is astounding (and is not the only beautiful long shot in "Gravity"), but an equally impressive shot takes place right after the sequence ends. As Stone drifts away into the abyss, the camera slowly tightens and tightens closer to her face, her breath fogging her visor and her face full of fear. Suddenly, with seemingly no cut, the camera moves INSIDE Stone's helmet and turns the take into a POV shot. This is just one of many breathtaking visuals, heightened by the use of 3D.
I mentioned 3D only making sense in a handful of movies, but "Gravity" is the only film that I believe is ESSENTIAL to view in 3D. Getting lost in space is not the same as getting lost on land. On land, people can only move unhindered in two dimensions. We can walk in any direction on the surface of the planet, but cannot walk straight into the sky or down into the Earth's core. Space, on the other hand, is a truly 3D experience. There is no direction that you cannot go, as there is nothing there to hinder you. Since these characters truly are moving in three-dimensional space, it only makes sense to view them in 3D. Since "Gravity" is only 88 minutes long, your eyes won't need to do that much extra work.
Elevating "Gravity" above being just a visual feast is the touching human story at its core, written by the Cuarons and elegantly portrayed by Bullock and Clooney. "Gravity" is truly a story of rebirth, and finding your way back into the world after you've suffered a tragedy. Stone reveals early on that her four-year-old daughter died after hitting her head during a game of Tag. The loss caused Stone to pull herself out of society, avoiding human contact and just focusing on her work. In a way, going into space is exactly what she wanted: to be left alone. It's not until this insurmountable hardship presents itself that Stone, thanks to the assistance of her guide Kowalski, relearns how to function as a member of Earth once again. Now all she needs to do is get back there.
Sandra Bullock underwent tortures that many actors have never known while filming "Gravity", but it was all worth it for the terrific result. Bullock authentically captures the terror and isolation of her predicament, which was probably helped by the fact that she spent only a handful of time with her co-star George Clooney and most of her time enclosed in a box full of 4,096 LED bulbs. In one spectacular scene, Bullock shows Stone coming to terms with her own mortality. In a film full of constant movement, this low-key, somewhat stationary scene is deeply impactful and bolsters "Gravity's" reputation as more than just eye candy.
George Clooney is perfectly cast as Mission Commander Matt Kowalski, the seasoned veteran ready for retirement. If you were ever stranded in space, Clooney seems like the exact person you'd want with you to calm you down. His voice is soothing and friendly, and he always seems to be in control of his own bearings. His calm is contagious, and it makes him an effective guide for Bullock's Stone.
As you know, there is no sound in space, so Cuaron had to find a way to honor this fact. Many movies and shows that are set in space usually overlay music during scenes that occur in the void. "2001: A Space Odyssey" famously used classical music, while a show like "Firefly" used an appropriate acoustic guitar. "Gravity" uses music interestingly, in that its score is full of harsh sounds that could double as sound effects for the events on screen. The score isn't just playing over the action, it's part of the action. Cuaron says he tried taking all sound out of the mix, but it was boring. Steven Price's heart-thumping music honors the silence of space while simultaneously keeping the audience engaged.
"Gravity" is one of the strongest films of the year, offering high stress and high reward. It's hard to believe Alfonso Cuaron hasn't directed a feature film since 2006's excellent "Children of Men", but the seven year absence hasn't made the filmmaker rusty. His eye for visuals is stronger than ever, and the innovative "Gravity" is the proof.
