Review of Gravity (2013) by Filipeneto — 05 Oct 2018

I watched this movie yesterday or the night before last and, frankly, I was a bit divided about it. I expected something more. The script is simple: in the near future, a severe blast causes a chain reaction destroying most orbiting satellites and launching a shower of space debris compromising the survival of a team of American astronauts who were repairing the Hubble Telescope. It's a plot that works but has serious credibility problems based on the great improbability of all our satellites being destroyed at the same time. It also totally ignores some science issues such as the abundance of space junk in Earth's orbit and has a plot hole that rubs the absurd: how the astronauts were able to listen to dogs in China if they were not even able to communicate with the own base in Houston? Sandra Bullock is the main character, in the role of a scientist who was selected for that mission by being an expert on the subject. The actress is good and her quality is unquestionable but I think her character wasn't well thought. Despite being a rookie in space and showing little training, her character is able to decently decouple herself in a ISS shuttle and in a Chinese one, something her training would probably never have prepared her for not being strictly necessary to her mission. There is a latent contradiction here, and it does not to be a physical or a genius to realize that and to detect others in the film. George Clooney is a good supporting actor but sometimes his posture, somewhat childish and relaxed, prevented me from actually feeling any tension, not to mention that the way he dies is absolutely cliché. The direction of Alfonso Cuaron works reasonably, and I think I realized some scenes that intentionally copy great films of the past in order to to honor them. This is beautiful and symbolic. The end of the film also seems loaded with symbolism.

The technical issue, however, is beyond reproach. CGI is absolutely grand and the images of our planet are breathtaking. I liked cinematography and soundtrack, discrete but competent. The way they put the actors floating weightless also seems incredible and realistic, just like the ships, tools, space suits and even the floating debris. Visually, the film is powerful and realistic but it's not the first time I say this: it's not a CGI storm that makes a good movie. The script has to be good. And the fact is that the script of this film, although it works, has a lot of holes, errors, absurd moments and contradictions. No matter how improbable is the situation the movie shows, the audience has to feel that it's real and it's happening. And I could not feel it here.