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Starring Oscar-winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, this Oct. 4 release broke box
office records for Oct. weekend releases, having made $55.6 million. With ambiguous trailers and the tagline,
"Don't let go," audiences in over 3,500 theaters couldn't wait to see
what this sci-fi film was really about.
The scene is set with the opening caption,
"At 372 miles above the Earth, there is nothing to carry sound, no air
pressure, no oxygen. Life in space is
impossible."
During the 90-minute-runtime, Bullock and
Clooney portray Dr. Ryan Stone and astronaut Matt Kowalski, respectively, who
are working on a mission with the Explorer space shuttle. The movie’s plot really begins when the
movement of debris recently disbursed into their orbit suddenly threatens their
safety and all communication with Houston is lost. The storytelling technique is interesting
because the events throughout the film occur in a near-real-time manner.
Stone (Bullock) is an engineer on her first
mission, while Kowalski (Clooney) is a veteran astronaut who makes it his
mission to live life to the fullest, even when situations become dangerous. Within minutes, Explorer's mission is over
when Dr. Stone is thrown off the structure and looses all visuals of the
shuttle, but it's the calming charisma of Kowalski that allows for the pair to
make a brave attempt to return home.
Bullock shines as Stone, who becomes more
resilient throughout the experience, while taking on some of the brave, yet
breezy, characteristics of Kowalski in her fight to stay alive. Her best performance is when she talks about
her young daughter and delivers the line, "Tell her that I'm not
quitting," with the fiery determination that Academy Award nominations are
made of.
The viewing experience is unique, as the film
style changes from first person point-of-view, with shots of the astronauts
above earth, to third person point-of-view as the cinematography shifts so that
the viewer sees what Stone sees. This is
accomplished, especially in moments of suspense, by giving displaying the
inside of her space helmet, lit up with warning lights and steaming up with
each breath.
While some viewers have described the heavily anticipated
Oct. 4 release as slow or melodramatic, there is evidence to the contrary, as
this is one of the few wide-release films in recent years that take the time to
create a scene that is both stunningly beautiful and horrifying. The visuals and special effects of this movie
deserve a great deal of recognition, as the story would be impossible to tell
without them. Whether it’s the views of
the Northern Lights from the perspective of the astronauts or the portrayal of
objects floating in the zero gravity environment, the aesthetics of this film
are flawless. In some circumstances,
paying extra for a 3-D ticket isn’t worth the money, but this is the exception
to that rule.
This movie is not the typical sci-fi release, as
it offers more than flashy effects and frightening premises. While the action
and special effects of this movie (e.g. astronauts dodging debris, stunning
views of Earth from space, etc.) are worth paying lots of attention to, it's
the heartfelt performance provided by the leading actors that have earned this
film its success in the box office and the positive reviews from critics
worldwide. The Alfonso Cuarón-directed film offers proof of the
abilities of Bullock and Clooney to capture their audience's compassion.
Grade: A
