A review by Maria NeCastro of girlwiththemovieblog.blogspot.com
Starring Oscar-winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, this Oct. 4 release broke box office records for Oct. weekend releases, having made $55.6 million. With ambiguous trailers and the tagline, “Don’t let go,” audiences in over 3,500 theaters couldn’t wait to see what this sci-fi film was really about.
The scene is set with the opening caption, “At 372 miles above the Earth, there is nothing to carry sound, no air pressure, no oxygen. Life in space is impossible.”
During the 90-minute-runtime, Bullock and Clooney portray Dr. Ryan Stone and astronaut Matt Kowalski (respectively), who are working on a mission with the Explorer space shuttle when their safety suddenly becomes threatened by the movement of debris recently disbursed into their orbit and all communication with Houston is lost. The story is really unique and exciting because it is told in a near-real-time manner.
Stone (Bullock) is an engineer on her first mission, while Kowalski (Clooney) is a veteran astronaut who makes it his mission to live life to the fullest, even when situations become dangerous. Within minutes, Explorer’s mission is over when Dr. Stone is thrown off the structure and looses all visuals of the shuttle, but it’s the calming charisma of Kowalski that allows for the pair to make a brave attempt to return home.
Bullock shines as Stone, who becomes more resilient throughout the experience, while taking on some of the brave, yet breezy, characteristics of Kowalski in her fight to stay alive. Her best performance is when she talks about her young daughter and delivers the line, “Tell her that I’m not quitting,” with the fiery determination that Academy Award nominations are made of.
This movie is not the typical sci-fi release, as it offers more than flashy effects and frightening premises. While the action and special effects of this movie (e.g. astronauts dodging debris, stunning views of Earth from space, etc.) are worth paying lots of attention to, it’s the acting of the leading actors that have earned this film its success in the box office and the positive reviews from critics worldwide. The Alfonso Cuarón-directed film offers proof of the abilities of Bullock and Clooney to capture their audience’s compassion.
Grade: A