Gravity - 8 out of 10

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

 

Starring

Annie Porter

Dr Doug Ross
Astronaut that isn't American, so let's not give him any lines and kill him (off-screen) as soon as possible
 

The Plot

Ms Congeniality is terrified of space, but goes into space and has her space-related fears confirmed, not entirely due to the presence of a rather irritating Danny Ocean.

 

The Review – Warning: Spoilers

All anyone could really talk about after this film were two things. Firstly, why couldn't Dr Patsy Stone hold onto Mike Wazowski? Secondly, what happened to him after they got separated?

He's an answer for both: Who cares? Just be thankful he left quietly, like a kind of embarrassed exit. He must have sensed how much I disliked him and bowed out of the film respectfully.

Everything that came out of his mouth was a little ridiculous and, as far as I'm concerned, was not at all representative of a believable human. Of course, in the world of films this is not a requirement because believable humans can be boring, but for a film that prides itself on its scientific accuracy (as approved by NASA), they could have at least attempted to make Clooney believable too.

Now, onto the part where the film got really good – I really felt for Stone in this and the whole thing was gripping, both in terms of action and visual effects. However, despite what the Cuaróns would like me to admit, I did not feel for Stone due to the fact that she had a dead child. I could care less if Stone's child was dead or waiting for her at home; it does nothing for the story. Can I not feel for the woman because of her horrific experience? Are we so disillusioned by films depicting great scenes of horror that we need a tragic back story in order to actually feel something for another person as they struggle to survive?

I don't know if you've seen the short film that accompanies this, called 'Aningaaq', but it's pretty cool for film nerds. I love a good spin-off/tie-in. And if you can get past Stone barking like a dog, both the feature-length film and it's short tie-in are worth a watch.

 

Final Thought(s)

How did Stone not get hit by shrapnel any of the times it was speeding past her for minutes at a time and how did Cuarón get away with putting that much foetal imagery into the film?

I look forward to the sequel, where Stone attempts to survive the harsh landscape she lands in without food, water, or appropriate clothing.