Years from now, I think people will ask the same of "Gravity," and I would be inclined to agree with them.
At its heart, "Gravity" is a tale of survival as astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) find themselves stranded in space after a roaming pile of space debris destroys their shuttle and cuts off communication with Earth. Amidst this awful situation, they persevere and try to survive in the infinite void.
And what a beautiful void it is. In fact, "Gravity" is perhaps the most technically impressive film since "Avatar." During an era of filmmaking in which quick shots are becoming the norm, "Gravity" spits in the face of that practice and contains multiple long takes in which the camera floats effortlessly through space and around objects.
The long take is something of a rare animal in modern filmmaking these days. The 17-minute long take that opens the film is nothing short of marvelous, and when the cut finally comes after what seems like an eternity, it snaps you out of your trance and into the next heart-pounding sequence.
In fact, "Gravity" might just give you a heart attack if you are afraid of heights, getting blown to smithereens, small enclosed spaces or inertia.
Everything that can go wrong does go wrong and in a spectacular grandiose fashion that makes seeing "Gravity" in 3D not just a gimmick, but necessary in order to fully immerse yourself in its experience.
"Gravity" is also the long-awaited return of director Alfonso Cuaron, whose last film, "Children of Men" is now lauded as a cult classic.
With its own impressive long takes, "Children of Men" seems like a training ground for what was to come with "Gravity." Cuaron's collaboration with his longtime cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, has produced now not one, but two masterpieces of modern filmmaking, and it will be a crime if Lubezki does not walk away with an Oscar come March.
Technical details aside, "Gravity" is also a masterpiece of lean storytelling. There is a piece of advice for screenwriters that states that your plot should start on page one.
While the plot of "Gravity" actually starts on page four or so, the same principle applies. At 91 minutes, "Gravity" wastes no time with silly subplots. Every action is literally life or death and the film makes sure to respect that by doing away with trivialities. Indeed, concerning itself with such things would be a grievous blow to the film.
Another beautiful thing about "Gravity" is the way it deals with conflict. Every story needs conflict to survive and move forward, and this usually means fighting against an antagonist. But what happens when the antagonist is the force of nature itself?
That's what "Gravity" deals with by having nature manifest in its most frightening form: the uncaring, cold, dark void of space. The epigraph of the film even closes with the ominous line, "Life in space is impossible."
Often, it is the faceless enemy that is the most frightening, and "Gravity" manages to hone in on this in a spectacularly horrifying fashion.
At this point if you're still not convinced you should see this movie, let me offer up one last reason: Sandra Bullock.
Contrary to what the Internet might tell you, Bullock is a fantastic actress. Yes, she won an Oscar for the rather milquetoast "The Blind Side," but that still doesn't preclude the fact that she pretty much carries the gravitas of "Gravity" squarely on her shoulders. If you've ever wondered how a person faces death, you should watch Bullock give you a personal tour and then answer any questions you might have before you head for the gift shop.
"Gravity" is currently playing at the Nugget.
