Gravity (2013) | Film Review

(Originally published on Letterboxd) - When it comes to visual cinematic achievements, no other film raised the bar this year like Alfonso Cuaron's, Gravity. While light on plot--first time astronaut, Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullion) finds herself stranded in space after debris from an exploded Russian satellite destroys her ship and kills her crew--the special effects and cinematography take what could have been a space comedy of errors into one of the most riveting movie-going experience in history.

Everything about the way Gravity tells it's story feels effortless. It's so well conceived, you'll likely forget that you're watching a movie, and find yourself swept away amongst the action. One the reasons for this is the way Alfonso stages his shots. The very first scene is a near eleven minute uncut shot that weaves in, out, and around the astronauts as they work on a satellite. Swaying back and forth giving us glimpses of both the Earth and deep space, it helps to effectively convey just how wide open space is, and sets up the dread an hopelessness needed to make the following acts all the more thrilling.