Gravity is a harrowing tale of survival that unfolds within the dangerous vacuum of space, as envisioned by the director of Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuarón. The 3D sci-fi drama/thriller features more of the acclaimed filmmaker’s trademark cinematic wizardry, which includes a 17-minute uninterrupted opening shot and real-time pacing.
In the movie, Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer who undertakes her first mission into space. She is accompanied by seasoned astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), a space shuttle commander on his last flight (who wants to bet he only has two days left until retirement?), and everything seems to be going fine; that is, until space debris cripples their ship. The pair then ends up separated, leaving Bullock’s character on her own to race against time and make it back to Earth alive.
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The Dr. Stone role in Gravity was considered by several actresses – that list includes Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively and Natalie Portman – before the Oscar-winner Bullock signed on. It’s a meaty role, for sure, seeing how the character spends the vast majority of the film’s running time onscreen alone; not to mention, she is motivated by a desire to survive and reunite with her daughter back on Earth.
No surprise, the Gravity trailer is intense and the visual composition impresses. However, the preview manages to only scratch the surface, when it comes to the white-knuckle adrenaline rush and technological breakthroughs of Cuarón’s film. Early screening reactions, as you might expect, have been split, with the main contention point being the script, as was written by Alfonso Cuarón and his son, Jonás Cuarón. Basically, the disagreement concerns whether the cutting-edge style trumps the narrative and thematic substance, or enhances them.
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Gravity will open in regular theaters and selected 3D/IMAX screens around the U.S. on October 4th, 2013.
