Story: After a space mission goes awry, astronauts drift into space, losing not only their sense of direction, but also hope for survival.
Review: Do you regret not taking enough risks in life? Do you often envy those who take the road less travelled? Do you wish you could escape your mundane life and fly into the sky like a free bird to touch the moon and the stars?
In case you do, Gravity will change the way you think. It will alter your perception of beauty, fear and freedom. If you wonder how a docu-style film centered on a single character (Sandra Bullock) floating through deep space can be this gripping, the answer lies in Gravity's awe-inspiring technical excellence.
Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron deserves a standing ovation for his film is a visual masterpiece. You know you have watched a film of this caliber when you keep asking yourself throughout, 'How did they do it'! The four and a half years of production work pay off, as you can tell every frame is painstakingly made.
Tense, unnerving and arresting, every scene of the psychological thriller gives you gooseflesh. The spectacular special effects make you feel like you are a part of the film. For instance, every time Bullock takes a long, deep breath, you can feel yourself doing the same. That's the impact of Gravity. It's an experience. A game-changer of sorts, the film is bound to revolutionise special effects in movies.
Having said that, Alfonso Cuaron doesn't let technology overpower the story, which is essentially an emotional journey of its lead character. That sense of detail for things goes beyond technology and this is what we liked the most about the film.
George Clooney manages to charm you once again, but it's Sandra Bullock who puts on the performance of her career. The haunting eeriness of dark space has been impeccably portrayed. The background score is equally fear-inducing and manages to maintain the tension created.
Cuaron keeps his film as realistic as it can get. No melodrama, no far-fetched stylised action scenes or convenient plot twists. The film stays unpredictable till the end.
To sum it up, there are films and then there's Gravity. For an edge-of-the-seat-rollercoaster-ride experience, watch it only in IMAX 3D.
Note: You may not like this movie if taut and realistic space films are not your cup of tea.