Why I Saw It: Great reviews. Great cast. Great director. Great marketing. This movie has nothing working against it.
Cast: It's basically Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and some voices. Bullock is the lead and Clooney supporting, which isn't a spoiler because the marketing makes that pretty clear. It's tough to rate the acting in this, because so much of it is closely tied to the effects. For example, when someone is floating around in a space station, that is so foreign, I don't even know how to say "that seems true to the character". I don't want any of this to imply that I thought these were lesser performances. This is some of Bullock and Clooney's best work (even if you could say Clooney was just playing an astronaut George Clooney). I just want to highlight that it's tough to compare the performances to anything.
Plot: After an accident, Sandra Bullock's character tries to get back to Earth. That's the plot. Knowing that, I came in quite worried about how they would fill 90 minutes and those worries were unfounded. It turns out, it's a lot of work to get back in Earth's atmosphere. For most of the run, the movie is a visceral experience. Multiple times I had to pull myself back to my seat because I'd shot forward in suspense or tension. Despite to small cast, there's a surprising amount of dialogue which stopped it from seeming too mechanical. It's such a simple story that is so beautifully done.
Elephant in the Room: It looks like it might be too engrossing? My biggest fear about this movie was that it would be a great looking art film, but not exactly accessible. One of those movies that I say I liked to not sound uncultured but have no desire to see again. And let me be clear, this is a very expensive art project, but one with legit commercial appeal and bankable stars. This is also a case in which 3D is not a gimmick. I saw this in 3D on the biggest screen I could find and I don't know how I could see it any other way. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually ducked in my seat from something in a movie coming at me and this has a couple of those moments. It was some of the best 3D I've seen in a while.
To Sum Things Up:
See this movie. You don't have a good reason not to. While you're at it, splurge for that 3D ticket. It's worth it. I was thrilled to see this opened so strong this weekend because this had the potential to look too experimental for most audiences. I'm not sure how likely I'd be to see this on video since it is built to be seen on a big screen, so I'd recommend you see it now. Anyone thinking this looks a little boring will quickly realize how wrong they are. This has been worth the wait.
Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend
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