Gravity

Dear film fans, those of you who missed a story and sophisticated dialogue raise your hands. No, not you Pomo, you always raise your hand. Anyone else? Anyone? Now seriously. Cuarón has created a technological marvel that will make you forget to eat overpriced popcorn and might even make you realise that our life-giving ball called Earth, floating through deadly space, is truly unique and beautiful. Only the 3D seemed unrecognizable and unnecessary, for that we have only the master of three-dimensional experiences Jim Cameron. (10/13/2013)

Gravity is a gripping film in which the levels of revolutionary technological advancement, spectacular blockbuster, physically intense suspense and personal drama are in perfect balance and symbiotically form a flawless spectacle. The film is captivating in the way that it conveys the wonder and terror of space, but it also tells a purely human story of inner rebirth that takes place through facing one’s own pain and transforming agonising loss into empowering melancholic mourning. Among other things, reflecting on the film raises the question of whether it is appropriate to describe it as science fiction. It is true that, unlike works typically associated with the sci-fi genre, Gravity does not take place in the future or on other planets, nor does it contain any elements of fantasy. However, in terms of its motifs, it simply cannot be classified otherwise. It has very little in common with futuristic equivalents of fairy tales, westerns and romantic adventures like Star Wars and Star Trek, but such stories comprise only one segment of science fiction. Conversely, the latter contains works that place emphasis on relating humanity to space, which relativises traditional values and concepts of human existence. The highlighting of these motifs and the bold thematisation of the spectacular nature of space, as well as the screenwriter’s creative license in the approach to the scientific and realistic aspects, sets Gravity apart from films relating to real space travel, such as Apollo 13, where space is essentially used as a mere backdrop. In Gravity, space and the action set in it comprise a metaphor for the inner drama of the film’s protagonist, which in turn reciprocally forms the dramatic framework for the depicted spectacle. (03/31/2014)

Together with Man of Steel, the most intensive movie experience of the year. Where the new Superman banged with its hectic and endless action, Gravity amazes with the visuals. But not only that, it also makes you root for the fragile protagonist in her struggle against crushing loneliness and the feeling of utter hopelessness. I was expecting a slow, philosophical and depressive movie, but Cuarón surprised me delivering a brisk sci-fi survival that’s very, very far from philosophical boredom. (10/22/2013)

Oxygen level 1%. A nerve-racking space ride that redefines the boundaries of the genre. Especially with its visual style. Cuarón is a master of choreography, a whole damn lot is happening on the screen at once and, in combination with the sound (especially Price’s music), the visuals make this one of the top space adventure movies we have seen this year or maybe ever. Sandra acts well and quite comfortably carries the movie on her shoulders, but Clooney is the real charmer here. There are a few weaker moments, but for a classically structured survival thriller, this time against mother nature and the emptiness of the space. Literally breathtaking. (10/04/2013)

The saying of finding solid ground under your feet will never be the same again. A visually ingenious, revolutionary, liberating experience of overcoming loneliness and finding gravity (hope). With the exception of the deus ex machina and the overly literal emancipation scheme in the last third, this was an absolutely brilliant and captivating experience that moved me to tears in the middle part through the image of endless solitude. Bullock took my breath away. A juicy variation of brave babes in spacesuits. Clooney as a space trucker is economical and charismatic in every line of dialogue. It's not revolutionary in terms of ideas, profound and dizzyingly metaphysical, yet at the right time it got to me like nothing else could this year (and very few in recent years). A pure visual celebration of the fragility of existence. Somewhere out in space. One of the best sci-fi films of all time, which can easily withstand its admitted simplicity (who needs more metaphysical diarrhea from The Tree of Life? I don’t). A Space Odyssey for the new millennium. Goodbye... I'm drifting forever and only answering the phone when Ed Harris calls from Houston. [90%] (09/25/2013)