film
by Keiron Self
GRAVITY ****
SAVING MR BANKS ****
Dir: Alfonso Cuaron (12A, 91 mins)
Jaw-dropping, utterly immersive in 3D and inducing tense wonder, Gravity is what
cinema is created for. Sandra Bullock plays Ryan Stone a scientist on her first
outer space mission, George Clooney is Matt Kowalsky an experienced astronaut,
they’ve been dispatched to the stars to upgrade the Hubble telescope when they
are hit by space debris. A battle for survival ensues as Bullock spins into the
reaches of space with Clooney trying to reassure and get her back. An intimate two
hander, albeit one set within the epic landscape of space, Gravity is an incredibly
immersive experience and one that warrants the use of 3D. Sandra Bullock, so
often regarded as a lightweight actress, is fantastic, the multitude of emotions her
character goes through is excruciatingly raw and believable. Clooney is equally
good, his laid back charm still charged with emotional intensity. The film looks
amazing, but the special effects aid the storytelling. Most Hollywood blockbusters
can deliver impressive SFX that have no weight, all sound and fury, Alfonso
Cuaron manage 2F?7W'72??&??6?'W7FW"&??&7Bv?F?F??2V?WBV??F?????&???W&6?7FW"?FV6???6???76?fR6??WfV?V?B2vV??2?V'G&V?F??r???Rv????&R?VgBfVV??rvV?v?F?W72?BW??W7FVB?7WW&"??V?2??b???F?#??????VR??6?6??$?#R??2??v&??V'FVB??FV?6?&?7F?2f&Rg&??v?BF?6?W?&?WB?W"?v?BF?6?W??B??0?v????r?bw&?FW"???G&fW'26?F?B?R6?V?B??Rf????b?W"6???G&V?( ?27F?'???'????2?F?????2?&W?WFRv?F?F?6?W???W7F6?R???2F?R?VB?bF?P??v?2???vF???v???7BV??F???6??F?W27WW&??"7F?fbWW"?2G&fW'0?v???FW2F?R?FV?b?W"??fV?&V??rGW&?VB??F?( ?6'F???( ??F?6?W?( ?2FVv?FW'0??B&VvvVBF?V?"fF?W"F???Rf????bF?V?"ff?W&?FR&????B6??R6WB&?W@?6V7W&??rF?R&?v?G2????F?&R?WBv?F?'&?6?v????fW"#?V'2?RW'7VV@?G&fW'2?f??????f?F??rF?R??rF?v????W"?V6?w&?FW"F?F?6?W???B???c???fW"Gv??vVV?W&??B??R6WG2&?WB6??f??6??r?W"F?W?v???F?w&VB??"??W"&????'WB6?R7F???&V???2????f&?RV?F???Rf??G2?WBv??F?R&????2&V???&?WB?BF?66?fW'26V7&WG2??G&fW'>( ??v?6???F???B????2?2??ff&?Rf?&???2?2F???6????F??27&???r???f??r?BgV???F?R&?WBG&fW'2?BF?P?V?F??FR?&?v??2?b&?F?F?R&????BF?Rf????w&VB7W?'F??r67B??????F?P?fVV?v??Bf?&R??6?VF??rV?v??GF??'&F?W?v??Ff?&B?B?6??66?v'G?????B$???f?2F?R6?W&??'&?F?W'2?v??'&?Vv?B?W6?2F?F?R7F?'??BvfRW0?7WW&6?g&v??7F?6W?V?F?6??W2??W7BF??( ?B?V?F???F?6?f?G??R??V?2??b#???D???T??ut???????4%$?R??????????T??????F?#?&?6?&B6?W&B?R??B??2???VFR?r6??w2??27F??r6??2v???7Bv????r6??P??WGF??6??2?b??2?v???&?6?&B6?W&N( ?2F??&?Vv???V????&?Rf?V???WF?VB6??VG?F?&???W"??r?2?V??wv???v??( ?2F??R"?V"7G&WF6???&?6????VW??rV?WBf? ???2&?72FV??&V6??"???r?^( ?2?WB??Rv?G26??P?f???6??6??V?6F???f?"??26??V?6R?B?v?F????&??W0?&?6?&BRw&?B??F?r?6WG2?WBf?"??2'&?B?b?W7F?6R?????rF?Rv??R?6?G&?W2F?&R?6???V7Bv?F???2?w'??FVv?FW"?v?R?bF?&??W>( ?V??6?&?R?v?F?v????R?2FW7W&FRF?WBF???w2&?v?B?W7V6???2?^( ?0???rw&?FfF?W"??r?2???fV7F??W6?v??BF??P?2?V??wv??v?WF?W"v???r?&?6?&?WB??2V??2??6?vv??r6fR?"F???r?V?B?b6?6??R??N( ?2F&??6??VG?v?F?f??F???V'B?B6??R?V??&&?R6W7F?0?F???wVR?7WB&?fR??6??7F?6???B7?&?GV?6?W6??F??6W??&V7B??V?2??bP??F?#????&W&?V?&6R?R???2??7FW?V????~( ?2??fV?&?WB??7G&6?6VBFVV?vRv?&??v?F?7WW&?GW&??vW'2?2GW7FVB?fbf?"F?R&?r67&VV??v???'&??FR?? ( ?2?sbf???v27WW&"?6?77??76V?6GW&??r6'&?RF?R?WG6?FW"?6?V?FW&VB'??W ???6?V?&V?v??W2??F?W"?B??6?VB'??W"VW'2??'V??VBF?V?&?F?7V?VBBF?R66????&??v?F?&???G??&W7V?G2??N( ?2?&BF?6VRv?BF?&V7F?"???&W&?V?&6P?6?'&??rF?7V6???6???2??'&?"f????F?RF?&V7F? ??2??F?R6??2v?F?F?Rw&VB&??2F??( ?B7'??B?0?76V?&?VBf??R67Bv?F?6???Rw&6R??&WG?26'&?P??B?V???R???&R2?W"V??vVB??F?W"?'WB7F????F?P??&?v????VVFVB?GF?R??&?fV?V?B?F??2?2?WFFRf? ??VF?V?6RF?BF?F?( ?B6VRF?R?&?v????v?F?&WGFW"4e??'WBW&?2??BF?R6?R6V?6R?b6??6??BvR?F?P??6???2???V?G2?bF?R?&?v???&R&W6V?B?B6?'&V7B???F?R&V??R???&WG??B???&Rv?????F?V'B??Rf??P??&??r?6?vF6??b??R?fV?( ?B6VV?F?R?&?v??????V?2??b#???F?#?7FW?V?g&V'2?$?????2???v&B&?F??r6??VG?G&?v?F??V???V?GV??B?G26V?G&R??VF?FV?6??B7FWfR6??v??&6VB???G'VR7F?'???Bf????w2F?6w&6VB??F?6?7??F?7F? ??'F??6??6?F????VB'?v?????v?&W7G&??VB6??v???B??2W'7V?B?b7F?'?&?WB?????V??VR??VF??FV?6??F?v??B?VV??VRfV??&Vv??B?WB?bvVF??6?????S"???&V??B?v26V?BF?6??fV?Bv?W&R?W"&'??v26&VBf?"'??V?2V?F??6?R6?V?Bv?&??fb?W"FV'B??F?R6???Bv2v?fV?v?'?F?R?V?2???vWfW"?F????W&?6?6?W?R?BF?Rf???G&6W2F?V?"6V&6?f?"???&V6???rW76V?F???&?B??f?Rv?F??VF?FV?6??@?7FWfR6??v??FW7?FR6??R???F??g&?7F???v?F?6??v??6VV??rFV?6?( ?27F?'?2v??WB?b??2?v?W'6????v?W2?F?V?"g&?V?G6??FWfV??2??F?6??WF???rFV?FW ??B??f??r?6?&7FW"?V6R?W?W'F???VB??@?6??V?W76????V?FVB'?F?&V7F?"g&V'2?BWW&V@?v?F???R??W'26?W'FW7??bw&?FW'26??v??B?Vfb?R???V?2??b???4?$T?T4TC?u$4R?b???4??$???6??R??F????2w&6R?V??v??vfRW?W"??f?R7F&F??F??''?&??6R&???W"?b???6???F??26?77?&???2???????U"D$??u2?R?F??V??&F6?ffR?VfW2?''??GFW"gW'F?W"&V???B?6??vv??r?V??BF?F??6??f??6??r2&VB?WB??V?v??6&W&r???F??2??F?RG&???6?7F'&??rF?RFR???B&V?f?7FW"?$???B?R???F?W"&WFV???p??bF?R?d?7676??F?????f??f??r&???&?"F??&?F???V?v??GF??B?2Vg&??2F?Rw&77??????????2??5B?$?&?&W'B&VFf?&BBsr?V'2??B?2F?R6??R7F?"??F??2w'VV???rF?R?bW&????F?R6V???