“Gravity” is basically the story of Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock), a medical engineer on her first space mission to fix the Hubble space telescope with technology she invented, but is ordered to evacuate after “Houston” gets word of shrapnel from a Russian missile hitting its own satellite orbiting the globe and destroying anything in its path. Stone and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), a veteran astronaut, are the only survivors on the mission, and must get to the International Space Station with the goal of eventually getting back to earth in 90 minutes, without a craft to carry them there, or the shrapnel will be back and they would have to survive the deadly debris yet again. It’s your basic survival story, only set in outer space.

The detail is so crisp in “Gravity”, which is especially impressive because 98 percent of the film was created digitally. And it was beautiful, the essence of space was captured so perfectly, I almost feel like the images and backdrops were taken from the Hubble space telescope’s photographs. I’ve always loved space and the infinite magic it creates, and “Gravity’s” interpretation of that is in itself, magical. The filmmakers and director had to invent technology to film this sci-fi space thriller. Bullock was constantly thrown around in the zero gravity of space, and to achieve this effect, she was hooked up like a puppet to the camera and her movements manipulated by people outside of the shot. It was very impressive how real it felt. I flinched several times when shrapnel flew across the screen, although I knew it could never hit me.

I commend Sandra Bullock for an amazing performance. This movie required an actor who could not only interact, but act alone. Much of the movie is silent, and Bullock must act out the story. Although dialogue is minimal, she portrays the terrified but determined Dr. Stone beautifully. The question of her survival is one that has you constantly biting your nails, covering your eyes and grabbing onto whichever poor soul is in your close vicinity. Although, we cannot forget Clooney. He also plays a very important role, however brief it may be, his character is so easy to root for despite (spoiler alert) his ultimate death.  He builds a wonderful character, one so kind and gentlemanly and funny and sweet, that you honestly want to marry him. His character, Kolwalski, obviously is Stone’s superior, and despite her somewhat no-funny-business personality and the fact that she’s scared out of her mind, she listens to him and trusts him. I was kind of hoping they’d end up together, but I can see why his death was necessary. “Gravity” feeds on the constant worsening of the situation to draw you farther into the story. Both Bullock and Clooney deserve awards for their very potent and real performances.

The plot was one of those plots that continued to thicken  up until three minutes before the movie finished. It started out with the Explorer, the spaceship for their mission, being completely destroyed by the fast-moving shrapnel, and didn’t slow down until (again, spoiler alert, my apologies), Bullock was standing on dry land. Seriously, never have I been so completely enthralled and terrified by a character’s quest for survival. It was one of those stories where everything and more that could go wrong, did. Bullock faced the shrapnel storm, not once, or twice, but three times, when she eventually made it to the International Space Station with Clooney, not only had it already been evacuated and the remaining ship was not fit for reentry,  but she had to let Clooney go because the strings she had grabbed ahold of to catch herself on the space station wouldn’t hold them both. And then of course she was breathing in carbon dioxide and feeling so light headed that Clooney, now drifting into the abyss of space, had to coach her through how to get into the station. We can’t ignore the fire either, that started soon after she was inside and how she had serious issues getting into the tiny space craft that she had to take all the way to the Chinese Space Station to find another shuttle to take her back to earth, and oh yeah, she ran out of fuel just minutes into that trip. That is just one tiny portion of the problems she has between the opening credits and the final scene.

My one complaint would be that. There is almost too many problems for me to handle, let alone for anyone to survive. It kept getting worse and truthfully, I lost faith in her survival, even though from the beginning I knew it was a survival story.  There was little hope in the movie, and I feel that hope is one of the most important aspects and it could’ve been emphasized a bit more. However, that is really nitpicky, small stuff. Bullock and Clooney give amazing performances, and I loved the movie.

All in all, “Gravity” is a must see for anyone who loves an adventure, survival, space and great acting. Props to Alfonso Cuaron, the director, for a beautiful, ingenious movie.