7) Gravity
Central Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Basher Savage
Budget: $80 Million (Approximately)
Release Date: October 4th
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
The Pitch: Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalsky are two surviving astronauts in a space station that has been hit by a disaster. The couple, played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney respectively, begin to tumble uncontrollably through the perpetual blackness of space with only an ever-decreasing oxygen tank and each other for company. Fear soon turns to panic as the helpless duo struggle to get in contact with earth before their oxygen runs out, but the question is, can anyone hear them?
The Verdict: Gravity is a project that has drifted across the creative ether of Hollywood in recent years looking for a concrete production company – much like the film’s wayward astronauts, actually. In 2010, the project changed hands from Universal to Warner Bros. and initiated a flurry of casting rumours. Stars such as Robert Downey Junior and Angelina Jolie were in contention for the central roles, however later the same year, the movie found it’s central duo in the form of George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Though Gravity may be released upon audiences a little too early to vie for Oscar season, this is a narrative that seems to bode all the dramatic ingredients to be a strong contender in terms of the acting categories.
Directed and written by Alfonso Cuarón, this is a film I’ve found myself very interested in of late. Considering that this is the first feature from Cuarón since his excellent Children of Men back in 2006, what’s more, The Prisoner of Azkaban – the director’s only Harry Potter film – remains my all-time favourite in the wizarding franchise. As a filmmaker, Cuarón understands the intimate relationship that science fiction provides to its plot and characters. Compounding social and political ideologies in a metaphorical setting has long been a trope of the genre, and it’s a convention the Mexican director illustrates expertly in his storytelling.
Details remain extremely scarce at this point in time; so unfortunately we can only wait patiently until the film is finally released come October.
Hype-O-Meter 8/10
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