Movie Review: Gravity (IMAX 3D) (English)

Once in a while there comes a movie that unfurls nothing short of a sensory spectacle, one that immerses the moviegoer in a sea of spell-binding wonder, awe and astonishment so profound that it begs you to ask the question: How did they even do this? Not since Avatar and perhaps Life of Pi, has there been a film like Gravity. By seamlessly merging live action with some of the best computer-generated imagery, Alfonso Cuarón's sci-fi space adventure is a majestic thriller of epic proportions ever realized on screen, bringing alive the vast expanse of space and its terrifying bleakness with impeccable verisimilitude, and turning it into an eye-popping delight.

Gravity

Set out to repair a glitch with the Hubble Space Telescope, rookie astronaut and bio-medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is all tensed up trying to focus on her task, while mission commander Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), on his last expedition, soaks in the feeling of outer space cracking jokes and telling stories.

"Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission," Kowalsky jokes early on. And as if on cue, Mission Control warns them of an oncoming debris from a Russian satellite forcing them to abort the spacewalk and get back. But before they can scramble to safety, the shrapnel hits the station, causing widespread damage and severing all contact with Houston. Will Ryan and Matt, now adrift on space with limited oxygen, be able to safely return to Earth?

Much like Life of Pi, Cast Away and the upcoming All is Lost, Gravity may be a story of survival and self-reliance in times of severe fortitude, but it's also a grim reminder of the ever-growing problem of space junk orbiting our planet, and the danger they pose to astronauts and satellites alike (a scenario called Kessler syndrome). At one point when Matt asks Dr. Stone about what she likes the most about space, she responds "I like the silence." Later it's the same silence that evokes a feel of dread and terror as she desperately tries to reach home not wanting to be lost and left all alone in the universe.

While Sandra Bullock and George Clooney turn up with fine performances, it's the movie's technical finesse that blows one's mind away. Emmanuel Lubezki's stunning camera work and Steven Price's glorious soundtrack are other aspects that make the movie a treat to watch. In a time when Hollywood is saturated with 3D flicks left, right and centre, here's one that really takes advantage of the latest in technology to give the viewer an unmatched cinematic experience. Clocking at a crisp 91-minutes, Gravity is a nail-gnawing thriller that will leave you gasping for breath; an absolute masterpiece of a film and an ultimate space extravaganza!