Expectations:
During my freshman year of college, I took two astronomy classes, to satisfy my general science requirements in my degree plan. Most people just settle for a simple biology class, but I chose astronomy! A bit of an odd choice, you might say, considering that I am a business major. However, I have a strange, unexplainable fascination with space... not the Hollywood version of space, made possible by Star Trek, Alien, and Star Wars, but rather the simplistic version that you find in the backyard in your small, unlit town of 2,000 people, in southern Mississippi. It's about the real, awe-inspiring images and views that display the simple elegance of God's vast and beautiful creation. Few things are more elegant, and the university offered me the ability to learn about my fascination, while gaining useful credit hours. In fact, when I was young, it was my dream to become the "President of NASA" (or whatever its equivalent title may be). I remember telling people my dream, and they would immediately direct their discussion to my "obvious" desire to become an astronaut and go to outer space. I would entertain these comments with an "Are you crazy?" or a good ole "Heck No!". There is no way that I would EVER allow my own being to be shot into the sky at hundreds of miles per hour. That is insane! And, after watching the many nerve-racking trailers for Gravity, I was pretty certain that this film would solidify my lack of desire to be shot into space. Additionally, I thought it might decrease my desire to be shot into the movie theater, as it just looked boring. Then... the reviews! The only 2013 film that I have heard more praise about is Before Midnight, which I have yet to see. Honestly, I couldn't believe how well-received Gravity had been. Most films that rely heavily on a visual impression fail to succeed with some audiences, which is why I couldn't wrap my head around the 98% on the Tomatometer. So, in order to increase my understanding, I decided I should go watch Gravity.Plot:
Sometimes simplistic drama is better than the most complex film ever made, and Gravity utilizes that simplicity better than any film I've ever seen. Usually, I tend to hate films with very little dialogue and films with too big of an emphasis on visual effects, but that was not the case with Gravity. Scientifically, I don't know how likely all of the events in the film are to happen. I mean, I highly doubt this story has a chance of ever becoming true. I don't know if I've ever seen a film that involved so much good luck and bad luck, all within minutes of one another. Because of the extremities of the good and bad, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping for the best and expecting the worst. I apologize for my brevity in plot explanation, but I don't really know how to go about analyzing the storyline, without giving too much away to those of you who have yet to see the film. I will say that if you want something deep and confusing, go watch Prometheus or something. Gravity is perfectly simple enough to keep you entirely intrigued, while allowing you to appreciate the amazing visuals.
Characters:
As expected, Gravity was a total Clooney-Bullock show, and both of them did a great job. Clooney's Matt Kowalski was basically real-life Clooney... but in space. On the other hand, Bullock's Ryan Stone was an amazing character who gave a perfect reflection of on-earth problems... but in space. I never expected the self-reflective moments that Stone brought on, as they were really special to watch. If Bullock truly earned an Oscar with her performance in The Blind Side, she deserves three for her performance in Gravity.
Conclusion:
If I can tell you one thing, after watching Gravity, it's that I made a good decision to never, EVER pursue going to space. Don't get me wrong... it's great! But, I don't want debris flying at me at zero-gravity. That's insane! Nevertheless, because of my sheer fascination with space, Gravity's visuals were some of the most impressive that I have ever seen. I don't think I've been as impressed with a 3D experience since Avatar "blessed" us with such amazing technology. What made Gravity a bit more impressive than Avatar was director Alfonso Cuaron's ability to create such an amazing world, without actually creating a new world. Rarely do we see 3D movies that are grounded in reality. There was nothing in Gravity that felt unreal, aside from the fact that it was all happening at one time, and I think that's what impressed me the most. If you will go into the theater and allow yourself to truly experience Gravity for all that it is, I promise that your heart will begin to race, just as mine did. I give Gravity 3.76 out of 5 stars.
