Gravity (Film Review)

Hey guys, what was the last film you went to see that had you gripped to your seat in suspense and wanting to know the outcome so badly?
Well back in October 2013, I joined 10 friends from my first year of College for a Cineworld Double-Bill of enjoying Ender's Game and then Gravity while we all crammed Pizza Hut in between our fun packed schedule.
So after witnessing both films, I finally got round to writing up a review about Gravity which is this tense, gripping sci-fi drama and by the end of it you should want to go and witness this masterpiece for yourself (or pre-order on Amazon!). Go and see just how terrifying it can be in Space when things go horribly wrong.

Gravity is the new British-American 3D Science-Fiction Thriller and Space Drama film that features Matt Kowalski "George Clooney" (ER, Ocean's Eleven)  and Dr. Ryan Stone "Sandra Bullock" (Miss Congeniality, The Proposal) as astronauts in space repairing a Satellite above Earth. And while glancing at Earth from above, Huston warns them of a Russian missile that blew up another Satellite not far from their location, which as you can guess was sending debris to their position. As they spin out of control, lose their tether cables and Sandra Bullock drifts out into the Space spinning out of control all alone, all you hear her ask is questions over and over again... "I can't breathe!" "I can't stop spinning!" "Does anybody copy?"
So now they must remember their training and take leaps of faith as they attempt to safely return to Earth.

I saw the trailer for this film a week before (while watching Thor: The Dark World in IMAX), which wasn't loud at all *I say sarcastically* (it was full of explosions that made me jump a little and my seat rumble while hearing screams of terror that wasn't even a trailer for a horror film)! Thanks IMAX...

The visual effects were astounding because seeing it in 3D IMAX made moments like catching a wandering nut bolt come out right in front of me look so realistic. Plus seeing the HD detail of Earth was beautiful as the film began peacefully with the radio on while they chat and repair the satellite. When one crisis was over, another emerged or begun some obviously and some unexpectedly, that's what kept the film going. I struggled with this film a little since I said in my other posts about "seeing the wonders of the world from a whole new perspective" and this film showed there are clear dangers to seeing from a whole new chilling realistic perspective especially from space. Even when Sandra was spinning out of control, the camera was on her helmet and the screen span round like a washing machine for like a minute and a half, which must have made the audience feel woozy (especially me) and creeped out as her view of the satellite was getting further and further away during the fright near the beginning of the film.
Another hair raising moment was when Sandra Bullock had to jump from the safety bars around the space station because one false jump and it would have been all over and even opening the airlock made everyone in the cinema jump in shock!

Comparing the audio to the trailer, where you hear loud explosive effects and screams, the film included not as many loud sounds but only music, which by the way represented the moments like debris collision and it was relieving as I thought it was going to be loud and tough to endure. There were still some screams but more shouting in confusion and terror over the uncontrollable situations that unfolded. George spoke to Sandra calmly a lot since he was an experienced astronaut and it was her first time. Having them two work together helped put a calm mood on the atmosphere for a while because we all need help calming down when we're terrified.

There was one moment that after seeing it all, made me think "what just happened?" after an airlock scene that was sweetly reassuring and essential during someones time of need but logically the film would have ended that quick if it really happened.

Sandra Bullock performed accurately (because I'm used to seeing her be funny, silly and embarrassing) but this time she was so serious, terrified and anxious, since I feel this film's intention was to promote "Agoraphobia" (the fear of wide open spaces dangerous and uncomfortable, like the opposite of  "Claustrophobia" (the fear of closed in spaces).

 
The ending was very, very relieving as the struggle to get home was finally over though the location was annoying and remote. This film in my opinion deserves all the high awards that it's been nominated for, thanks to the tense atmosphere that filled my body while witnessing that not everything goes smoothly as planned and all the horror we see in sci-fi films isn't just monsters/ aliens and wars! It can also be the feeling of being helpless when all odds are against you and you can get lost so easily in the void of space!