Gravity review: Overbudget, overacted and overblown, is this the film of the year?

When a studio shells out $100 million to make a movie, they don’t like to take risks. With so much cash riding on the success of a film, all too often a pointless, predictable mega-movie is filmed, released and quickly forgotten. And that’s what makes Gravity so special; it’s got a massive budget, A-list stars and enough special effects to give Avatar a run for its money, and yet it’s fantastic. More than Avatar however, Gravity is a shining example of what a blockbuster can be, and is for me undoubtedly the best film of 2013.

Set around 250 miles above earth, Gravity is the story of two astronauts, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), on a mission to perform repairs on the Hubble Space Station. When their space shuttle is (inevitably) destroyed by a cloud of space debris, the two begin a quest to return to earth with trials and dangers at every turn. Considering that the film features just two on-screen actors, it’s fitting that the roles are filled by performers of such talent and experience, with both Bullock and Clooney making for wonderfully believable portrayals of characters that the excellent script allow to develop and change of over the course of the film. Of course, the real star of Gravity is not the big name talent but the setting around them. It’s clear where much of the budget went as space stations, stars and astronauts gloriously come to life in the shadow of the ever present blue marble of planet earth. The visual effects are simply stunning; you’ll forget that it’s almost all CGI in what has to be the best portrayal of space in cinema history. The cinematography is gorgeous too, flitting between floating serenely through the heavens and spinning dizzyingly as the characters are tossed through the openness of space. It’s even better in 3D, the feeling of debris speeding towards you making for the best use of the technology since Life of Pi.

And while the effects are certainly part of it, beautiful views are not all the film has to offer. There’s a level of intensity brought on by music that shifts from Chopin-esque piano to heart stopping drums in the blink of an eye and a stellar sound design that ranges from the smash of debris striking a space station to, brilliantly, total silence. The music rises to dramatic crescendos to make the film that bit tenser, although Gravity does suffer from pacing issues towards the end as the action slows down to allow for compassionate overacting from Bullock. Despite this, Alfonso Cuarón’s direction is masterful, giving the characters time to develop while keeping the excitement flowing for the majority of the picture.

With the expectations riding on it, Gravity could have been a dire, seen-it-all-before space opera, but instead it marks a milestone for modern blockbusters, combing excellent direction with superb performances and the best space photography in cinematic memory. Whether it tops Apollo 13 as the greatest space movie ever is a debate for the hardiest film buffs, but one thing can’t be denied: Gravity is one of the best films of the year.   

9/10