Gravity

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Gravity
Starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Bio-medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first space shuttle mission and is accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney).  While attempting to fix the Hubble Space Telescope, debris from a blown up Russian satellite compromises the mission and literally leaves Stone and Kowalski adrift in space without a ship.  What follows is a harrowing ordeal of survival and the endurance of the human spirit.

Critically acclaimed director Alfonso Cuaron ("Y Tu Mama Tambien," "Children of Men") delivers what I feel is not only HIS best film, but Sandra Bullock's best film as well.  The visuals are downright dazzling, even in regular 2D.  I felt like I was in outer space with them and felt the hopelessness and sheer awesomeness of such an extravagant endeavor.  It's without a doubt the most visually profound experience I've ever seen in theater.

Sandra Bullock owns the film as if it were her baby, and has the extreme acting ability to be able to make you relate and root her on in what seemed to be impossible odds, as she struggles to not only make it back home, but make it through her own personal traumatic experiences to desire to live life again.  There are several stunning visual interpretations of her adventure from hopelessness to new life and rebirth that are spellbinding and moving.  We've got a serious contender for Best Actress, not to mention Best Picture and all the technical awards there could be in this years' awards season.

I don't typically get drawn into a film, but "Gravity" was able to not only draw me in, but do so entirely, from start to finish, to the point I felt it long after the film ended.  If I saw it in 3D, I would probably vomit from the experience, and I really want to see it in 3D!  Famed director James Cameron said this was the best film he's ever seen set in space (this coming from the man who directed amazing space films such as "Avatar" and "Aliens"), and I couldn't agree more.

My Rating: A+

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