In space no one can hear you scream.

     "Gravity", starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, opens today in wide release.  The buzz and accolades this film is garnering makes this the must see film so far this year.  The movie is offered in 2D, 3D, and 3D Imax.  I recommend viewing this film in the 3D process, preferably Imax.  The movie opens with a long shot of planet earth from outer space.  It is a nod to "2001 A Space Odyssey"  and the shot looks all too familiar.  I think paying homage is a good thing. As we slowly move in, a tiny dot of light keeps growing until we realize it is the Space Shuttle, whose crew is doing maintenance on the Hubble Telescope.  Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a biomedical engineer, who is trouble shooting electronics while attached to the robotic arm.  Meanwhile Matt Kowalski, played by Clooney, is a veteran astronaut, on his last mission before retirement.  So, as Stone works on the telescope, Matt tools around the Shuttle on a Space Walk.  He keeps mentioning that he will fall short of the record for space walking by an hour.  Soon all hell breaks loose and we find them in a battle to stay alive.                             Unlike most "space" films there are no aliens, villians, death rays, worm holes, or other staples of the genre.  Instead they are battling against the deadly vastness of space.  Really scary stuff because it is real.  While watching Bullock spin aimlessly I was reminded of the tag line from "Alien"  which was, "In space no one can hear you scream".  "Gravity" is most certainly a stunning achievement in film making.  Don't just take my word for it.  James Cameron, director of "Titanic" and "Avatar", said this of "Gravity":  " I think it is the best space photography ever done, I think it's the best space film ever done, and it's the movie I've been hungry to see for an awful long time."  Certainly high praise from a man who knows a thing or two about film and film making. 
     I could go on and on about the wonder and beauty of this film.  Like "2001 A Space Odyssey", "Gravity" blasts the senses with visuals never before seen in film, with a realism to match.  But at the heart of this film is Bullock, stretching her acting chops, and making it all seem so effortless.  I will say right now, she is a shoo in for an Oscar nomination with a good chance to win.  She carries this movie squarely on her shoulders and through most of the film she is on her own.  Clooney is good but he is more of a character actor in a supporting role.  George Clooney, character actor? Yeah right.  Though "Gravity" takes place in outer space in the final analysis it is a human story.  About how we deal with our own mortality, and the triumph of the human spirit.  This would be an excellent date movie.  Tell your date they remind you of either Clooney of Bullock.  They might buy it.
This movie is a solid A.