Saturday, December 7, 2013

Gravity -- October 2013

LOST AND FOUND


Picture yourself in this situation: You're 200 miles above the earth in a space shuttle, accompanied by one other person, and you're involved in the task of servicing the Hubble Telescope via space walk. He's an experienced career astronaut named Matt Kowalski; you're a medical engineer who's new to space and inexperienced. He's an outgoing, jolly sort; you're anxious and somewhat bitter. Your daughter died in a school accident some time back, and you really don't have much of a plan for the rest of your life. But now you realize that you and your cohort are in deep trouble. A few hours ago the Russians tried to shoot down one of their own satellites, but their plan went awry. It caused a chain reaction resulting in great quantities of debris being released into space. The debris hit the shuttle you and your partner were in and disabled it, making it necessary that you and he somehow get to the International Space Station, where you can find solace and safety. The trick is, you have to do it without any kind of spacecraft to take you there.

If this were you, you'd be Dr. Ryan Stone, an unmarried woman in a most precarious situation. You'd be the main character of a new picture entitled Gravity, a film which shows a marvel of cinematic effects along with a compelling plot and spiritual underpinning. The picture was directed, co-written, and co-produced by Alfonso CuarĂ³n. With its stunning special-effects-treatment of navigating in the weightlessness of zero gravity and its gorgeous shots of Earth and other celestial objects, Gravity is a strong contender in the upcoming Academy Awards.

Matt and Ryan decide they must attempt to make the 60-mile trip to the International Space Station using thrust packs while tethered together, and they have only 90 minutes to do it. While they're en route, they talk about Ryan's life, the loss of her daughter, and her lack of plans for or faith in the future. They manage to make it to the ISS but on doing so discover that it has been evacuated. What to do? They hit upon the idea of traveling to the Chinese space station because there are two modules there that they can use to take them back to Earth. They set out to do this, but when they arrive they find that the Chinese station has also been evacuated, and there is only one operable module. Through a series of unforeseen events, Ryan and Matt become separated, and Matt drifts away into space. Ryan is now alone without really knowing what to do. Almost out of air, she resigns herself to a slow death by asphyxiation, but when all looks the blackest, a visitor comes to help her. I won't say any more about the plotline but will leave it to you to discover the outcome on your own.

In her depths of despair before the encounter with the miraculous visitor, Ryan ponders her empty life, which has never been imbued by faith. "Nobody will mourn for me. Nobody will pray for my soul," she muses to herself. "I've never said a prayer in my life. Nobody ever taught me how." But then the mysterious visitor arrives, scolding Ryan and causing her to regain her drive and courage. As the visitor leaves, she says, "Give her [my daughter] a big hug and a big kiss for me … You tell her that I love her so much."

Gravity is an impressive picture indeed. In a basic sense it has a similarity to shipwreck stories such as Robinson Crusoe, Cast Away, Swiss Family Robinson, and the like, but in other senses it is unique. It's about the human will to live and the need to live one's life forcefully, no matter the hand one has been dealt. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play the roles of Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski with skill, but to my mind it's the spiritual dimension that really makes the movie. I found myself desiring more, wanting the story to go on after its conclusion, but on reflection have decided it's just fine as it is. The only negatives are some unfortunate language. You won't go wrong in seeing it -- in 3-D if you can.

Film Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 3 ½ stars

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