If things had turned out differently and Tom Selleck had taken the Indiana Jones role, the rolling boulders and derring-do would still have thrilled us. But one can’t help thinking the lack of Harrison Ford’s rugged sarcasm would have robbed the franchise of its popular magic. However spectacular your special effects, in the movies, casting is everything. And so it is with ‘Gravity’.
Currently topping the UK box-office chart, ‘Gravity’ has been called a ‘game-changer’. That rather depends on your definition, but if we’re talking about endless sequels, comic book adaptations and vulgar frat-boy comedies, I’d be most surprised if one movie can deliver substantial change to the Hollywood game. Although this is more to do with the intransigence of Tinsel Town accountants than any weakness in the make-up of ‘Gravity’, for it is a wonderful film indeed.
The opening minutes, as we accompany three astronauts repairing a space telescope, our planet sweeping beneath us, will join the horrific battle in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, and the wedding scene from ‘The Godfather’, in lists of the most impressive movie introductions. How this dizzying and breath-stealing vista will translate to TV, laptop or tablet is another matter. ‘Gravity’ is a cinematic event. Whether in 2D or 3D (and on this occasion 3D really does enhance the experience), to appreciate the staggering technical work on display, the width and height of a theatre screen is essential . Space is a big place; shrinking it to fit a handy device is unlikely to do anything but diminish its grandeur.
Strictly speaking, there are three on-screen characters in ‘Gravity’, but make no mistake, this is a two-hander and very much the Clooney and Bullock show. Which brings us back to that crucial casting. For all the wonderful actors working in movies right now, many are quite interchangeable. What marks out the stars of ‘Gravity’ is just that – they are proper movie stars. If you want someone like George Clooney involved in your picture, you have to hire George Clooney. Even though he looks a dead-ringer for Buzz Lightyear once he’s wrapped in a spacesuit, it doesn’t matter – he’s your man and there are no substitutes. Similarly, Sandra Bullock has navigated a subtle but concrete path to become the most endearing and capable actress in the business. Whatever her fee these days, she’s worth every penny. When a project demands an unwavering depth, humanity and authenticity, there’s only one Sandra Bullock.
In terms of plot, ‘Gravity’ is a straightforward escape-from-peril procedural. Which isn’t a criticism. It certainly didn’t detract from the agonies of Danny Boyle’s brilliant ’127 Hours’, with which ‘Gravity’ shares a common story trajectory. Placing a motion picture in a particular framework is no failure, as long as the execution is superb – and Alfonso Cuarón has built an adventure overflowing with tension and apprehension, with seemingly effortless style and flair.
Pleasingly, the film isn’t afraid to lace the action with references to other great space titles either. I spotted ‘Barbarella’, ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ and ‘Dark Star’ – and I’m sure there are many more.
That said, I don’t really consider this a science-fiction film. As a genre, science fiction generally revolves around the fantastical, pushing the possibilities of humankind’s future to surprising or fearful places. ‘Gravity’ is set in the present day and, while the science may be dubious, it’s believably contemporary. This isn’t a movie about travelling in space, it’s a movie about the fear of being abandoned and the terror of facing danger alone.
A great number of reviewers have allowed ‘Gravity’ the maximum five stars, suggesting it is flawless. It isn’t. Other than an attempt to emphasise the theme of hopelessness, I could see no reason for Bullock’s back-story concerning her daughter. Some of her lucky breaks are rather too lucky and her ability to read control panels labelled in Russian is never fully explained.
But I’m splitting hairs. For its confidence alone, ‘Gravity’ deserves its plaudits and the gongs which will certainly follow. Here is a film with a tiny cast and a gigantic location – both of which perform at a level that leaves the audience breathless with adrenalin and admiration. That takes some beating.
Currently topping the UK box-office chart, ‘Gravity’ has been called a ‘game-changer’. That rather depends on your definition, but if we’re talking about endless sequels, comic book adaptations and vulgar frat-boy comedies, I’d be most surprised if one movie can deliver substantial change to the Hollywood game. Although this is more to do with the intransigence of Tinsel Town accountants than any weakness in the make-up of ‘Gravity’, for it is a wonderful film indeed.
The opening minutes, as we accompany three astronauts repairing a space telescope, our planet sweeping beneath us, will join the horrific battle in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, and the wedding scene from ‘The Godfather’, in lists of the most impressive movie introductions. How this dizzying and breath-stealing vista will translate to TV, laptop or tablet is another matter. ‘Gravity’ is a cinematic event. Whether in 2D or 3D (and on this occasion 3D really does enhance the experience), to appreciate the staggering technical work on display, the width and height of a theatre screen is essential . Space is a big place; shrinking it to fit a handy device is unlikely to do anything but diminish its grandeur.
Strictly speaking, there are three on-screen characters in ‘Gravity’, but make no mistake, this is a two-hander and very much the Clooney and Bullock show. Which brings us back to that crucial casting. For all the wonderful actors working in movies right now, many are quite interchangeable. What marks out the stars of ‘Gravity’ is just that – they are proper movie stars. If you want someone like George Clooney involved in your picture, you have to hire George Clooney. Even though he looks a dead-ringer for Buzz Lightyear once he’s wrapped in a spacesuit, it doesn’t matter – he’s your man and there are no substitutes. Similarly, Sandra Bullock has navigated a subtle but concrete path to become the most endearing and capable actress in the business. Whatever her fee these days, she’s worth every penny. When a project demands an unwavering depth, humanity and authenticity, there’s only one Sandra Bullock.
In terms of plot, ‘Gravity’ is a straightforward escape-from-peril procedural. Which isn’t a criticism. It certainly didn’t detract from the agonies of Danny Boyle’s brilliant ’127 Hours’, with which ‘Gravity’ shares a common story trajectory. Placing a motion picture in a particular framework is no failure, as long as the execution is superb – and Alfonso Cuarón has built an adventure overflowing with tension and apprehension, with seemingly effortless style and flair.
Pleasingly, the film isn’t afraid to lace the action with references to other great space titles either. I spotted ‘Barbarella’, ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ and ‘Dark Star’ – and I’m sure there are many more.
That said, I don’t really consider this a science-fiction film. As a genre, science fiction generally revolves around the fantastical, pushing the possibilities of humankind’s future to surprising or fearful places. ‘Gravity’ is set in the present day and, while the science may be dubious, it’s believably contemporary. This isn’t a movie about travelling in space, it’s a movie about the fear of being abandoned and the terror of facing danger alone.
A great number of reviewers have allowed ‘Gravity’ the maximum five stars, suggesting it is flawless. It isn’t. Other than an attempt to emphasise the theme of hopelessness, I could see no reason for Bullock’s back-story concerning her daughter. Some of her lucky breaks are rather too lucky and her ability to read control panels labelled in Russian is never fully explained.
But I’m splitting hairs. For its confidence alone, ‘Gravity’ deserves its plaudits and the gongs which will certainly follow. Here is a film with a tiny cast and a gigantic location – both of which perform at a level that leaves the audience breathless with adrenalin and admiration. That takes some beating.
