Laufer 1

Rebecca Laufer

Dr. Rasmus Simonsen

WRI 2121 002

October 6, 2014

Review Essay: Gravity

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and featuring Hollywood legends Sandra Bullock

and George Clooney, the recently released sci-fi thriller Gravity has continued to impress

audiences worldwide. Entirely based around only the two aforementioned on-screen

actors, the audience follows Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (Clooney) as

they heave through space, and eventually fight for their lives, nearly 375 miles above our

picturesquely portrayed planet Earth. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian explains in a

review of the film that by utilizing more thriller and less sci-fi qualities, the audience is

left gasping for breath in between Cuarons notoriously long scenes, while in his

Telegraph review, Robbie Collin calls it one of the films of the year for many of the same

reasons. Each reviewer recognizes the films ability to draw deep emotions from the

audience while still providing the necessary sci-fi clichs, yet in a totally non-clichd

way. By creating a perfect balance of realistic scientific material, pristine effects, and

expressive characters, Gravity successfully portrays many science fiction qualities while

also drawing the audience into a raw emotional environment that is not often explored in

science fiction texts.

As is the case with the two sci-fi staples Star Wars and Star Trek, texts of this

specific genre often contain futuristic, out-of-this-world elements. Whether it is a setting

that includes various galaxies and unrealistically high-tech spaceships or extraterrestrial

 Laufer 2

characters, sci-fi films typically portray to the audience an aspect of unreality; that is, the

plots of these texts could not possibly transpire in the world as it is today. Peter Bradshaw

highlights that although it has surfaced that many of Gravitys scientific aspects are

incorrect, this does not take away from the fact that it disturbs the assumption that all

science fiction texts are set in the future (Bradshaw). The film takes place in the here and

the now, with seemingly realistic technology and true-to-life human characters. It seems

to the typical viewer that a straightforward space mission such as the one Stone and

Kowalski have embarked on is completely in the grasps of astronauts and scientists using

todays technology albeit their mission does turn out to be much less straightforward

than planned.

The sense of realism that Gravity projects through its use of realistic technologies

is further perpetuated by its thrilling, yet also devastating, emotional content. Bradshaws

review notes the many emotive scenarios that Gravity depicts, explaining that when

[Stone] cries in zero-gravity, with real tears floating away from her face, it is a heart

stopping spectacle (Bradshaw). The film is littered with scenes like this, causing the

audience to feel a full range of emotions that Bradshaw feels lend to Gravitys thriller

rather than sci-fi status. From when we learn that Stone lost her daughter in a tragic

accident to when Kowalski makes the ultimate sacrifice for his partners life, the

audience is given many opportunities to be thrilled, distraught, and continually awed.

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph holds a similar position to Bradshaw regarding

the deeper aspects of Gravity that balance out its obvious visual brilliance and external

sci-fi components. To Collin, Gravity is a heart-achingly tender film about the miracle

of motherhood, and the billion-to-one odds against any of us being here, astronauts or
 Laufer 3

not (Collin). Cuaron and his son Jonas, who co-wrote the script, created a sci-fi film

with the perfect amount of action and technology to please avid lovers of the genre;

however, Bullock should be specially credited for her ability to depict the dramatic,

quasi-philosophical notions mentioned by Collin. Any film with such a star-studded cast

who are able to brilliantly portray such deep and pure thoughts to the audience runs the

risk of being easily overwhelmed, but Collin justifies that the emotional drama that plays

out between the characters is perfectly balanced by the right amount of special effects and

intricate camerawork (Collin).

In essence, Gravitys seamless blend of emotionally- and scientifically-driven plot

points, characters, and settings is what has made the film such a success. With visionary

Alfonso Cuaron at the helm, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were able to shine

amidst the stunning visual effects that are typically required of science fiction texts. Peter

Bradshaw and Robbie Collin both agree in their separate reviews that all of Gravitys

elements together allow for a thrilling experience unlike many other science fictions films

to date. Gravity is a huge success in this years film line-up, truly surpassing all

expectations and setting the stage for more sci-fi-thrillers to come.

Grade: 87%
 Laufer 4

Works Cited

Bradshaw, Peter. "Gravity, Review: 'Heartachingly Tender'" The Guardian. N.p. 7 Nov.

2013. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.

Collin, Robbie. Gravity review. The Telegraph. N.p. 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Sept.

2014.