Alfonso Cuarón does not present any new ideas to the populace. His film, Gravity, is a CGI (Computer Generated Image) feast rotating around a single center-character engulfed in a survival situation. Nothing new to offer…because instead of trying to create a new image of space, a new future which has never been shown in a century of cinema, Cuarón chose a path of realism and emotional pull. Gravity is based on these two key principles, of presenting the most honest depiction (possibly ever presented) of work in space, and presenting parallel to the image, a soulful, human worker in the space to fill, with unique fears and genuine expressions of her deepest tragedies. A truly human film, despite the deepest reaches of an environment devoid of human support, human nurturing.

Alfonso Cuaron, who has directed many popular Spanish films, has only filmed three English-language films alongside Gravity: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Little Princess (his second film as head director), and Children of Men. Although only two humans inhibit the entirety of the movie, they were excellently cast. George Clooney stars as engineer Matt Kowalski and Sandra Bullock stuns in every possible aspect as Dr. Ryan Stone, brought out to help Kowalski with a technical glitch on the Hubble Satellite.

Technically, the film is a genuine marvel. Never before has CGI been used so prolifically, not content with molding some aspects of the astronaut’s environment, but constructing the entirety of their surroundings. Every inch of the screen, discluding only the humans used, is generated from the magic of a computer some place far away, but does not reflect this difference in locations, as the animators worked tirelessly it seems, hours and hours a day to hand draw every molecule of the screen, every star and every different surface of the space stations, masters of the trade, artists with a canvas just over eighty minutes and thousands of frames long.

The story which unfolds across the screen is a key element of any movie, intriguing the mind much more sincerely than can the average FX can muster. Although these FX have been elevated past the point to be overshadowed by what Cuaron has to say, the audience is still willing to listen as they sit, entrenched in the story of Dr. Stone. With such blood curdling CGI, it is quite the surprise which direction Gravity takes with its dialogue, pace, and simplistic storytelling. The film is not appeased with itself as only a special effects extravaganza, taking extra steps to develop the story of its character throughout the film, dropping new clues, and new information about the aforementioned Dr. Stone. Although the emotional pull does not quite match the level of the movie’s directorial efforts, it is refreshing to walk out with genuine feelings and emotions, aside from what the movie obviously expects one to feel.

Besides from the vaguely animated feeling the movie personally stirs, Gravity is a lightly dark thriller, set in the natural beauty of space only a master could capture. Bullock will grab and hold the attention of anyone willing to think and to love and to care about the others around him, and the never ending scope of black space will work the magic from there. Gravity will pull you in close, and it will not let you go until the final scene. 9/10.