Paul Watson, Campus Carrier Editor-in-Chief
In a culture infiltrated by the Avengers and Michael Bay, “Gravity” is welcome beacon of solace.
Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are two astronauts who are working on fixing repairs on the Hubble telescope. A debris field comes speeding in their direction, and part of the debris knocks Stone off the satellite and spinning away from the earth into space.
What makes this movie stand out is that it is a slower film—and that’s not a bad thing. Superman isn’t destroying a city to save a girl, and huge balls of fire aren’t filling the screen every few seconds. Rather, the film seems to replicate what Stone and Kowalski are experiencing as they move about in space. Even in tense moments, there seems to be a sense of relaxation as the astronauts float about in a vast nothingness. So if a non-stop adrenaline rush is what you’re looking for, this movie may not be your best option.
Though Bullock and Clooney headline the film, the true stars here are the VFX technicians. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful backdrop for a film than what is created here. The sheer vastness of space can be surmised simply by seeing the pinprick figure of Bullock in an untethered float. As simple as that process is, though, it’s still mind-boggling to attempt comprehending even the distance between the earth and the International Space Station.
One of the best aspects about this film is the soundtrack. A relatively unknown director named Steven Price composed it, and he created a masterpiece. The majority of the score consists of lofty violins that seem to be orbiting Earth with Bullock and Clooney, while an almost uncomfortable tension softy yet firmly builds underneath, signifying what is to come.
Though you could wait to see it on DVD (or whatever streaming website you use), this movie was made for the big screen. It is out in 3D, and it is one of the very few movies I would ever endorse to see in that format.
This is truly one of the best films that will come out this year. Don’t miss out on this experience.