Gravity (2013 Nominee)

Gravity is about Ryan Stone (Bullock) and her first trip to space.  An accident occurs and she must find a way to make it back to Earth alone. 

My first thoughts after seeing the trailer is theater for this movie were, “shit, this is really loud” and “this movie seems meant to be a showcase for neat 3D and little more.” What really piqued my interest was the tag at the end that said, “directed by Alfonso Cuaron.” This was the guy that made the titillating but impressive Y Tu Mamá También, helmed the arguably flawless Children of Men, and elevated the Harry Potter franchise to a level of artistry and adult appeal that it never looked back from. Then of course the reviews and word of mouth were impossibly good so I knew I had to see what the fuss was about, and we did in style- we checked it out on an oversized XD screen in 3D and not only was it easily on the same plateau of technological achievement as Avatar and The Life of Pi but it was one of the most immersive and memorable theater experiences I can remember… you know, except for the old guy in the theater that couldn’t remember where he was sitting and the wife shouting his name and rustling candy wrappers the whole time but at least they kept our feet on the ground, quite literally. I’m not a huge fan of the 3D thing but the 3D is this film was possibly the best I’ve seen, if not it’s at least as good as Avatar or Tron: Legacy. I’m also not the biggest Sandra Bullock fan (unless it’s Speed or Demolition Man as those films are unassailable to me), but her performance here is incredible especially when you consider that she was probably filmed in a giant can or on a green screen the whole time. The cinematography and creativity that went into the constantly changing camera angles were among the many fantastic achievements of this film, but is it really the Best Picture of the year or a landmark of storytelling? Probably not, and I doubt it will win Best Picture unless there is a split in the votes or this emerges as an underdog or popular choice but it will almost certainly sweep the technical categories and it has a very real shot at winning Best Director. There are those that will scoff at the science behind this film or call it overrated because of the many hyperboles that surround its reception, but make no mistake it is a truly memorable and unique film experience that reminds people of why they go to movies in the first place that will have a lasting impact on 3D and the films of the future.

Sandra Bullock alone for an entire movie.  It's the Castaway of space.  And shit just keeps happening and getting worse… and worse.  It's very tense. The film looked so amazing and really was enveloping.  For me, her performance was great and the special effects were outstanding but as a story telling device, I'm not sure.  Parts of the story felt like they were looking at problems astronauts could come across in space and then wrote them all into the script AND THEN added like twelve others.  It's a great movie but this movie was lower on my list as far as the other nominees are concerned.  Worth a watch and actually super worth it in 3D on an obnoxiously large screen. 

The off-screen voice of Mission Control is Ed Harris, who played real-life mission director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 (1995) and John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983).

Ryan Stone: I hate space!