Gravity

Director: Alfonso Cuaron (2013)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris (voice)

Find it: IMDB 

To be fair, if I were trapped in space with barely a hope of survival, George Clooney would probably be the only person capable of talking me out of complete hyper-ventilation too. Busy on a deep space mission, medical engineer Ryan Stone (Bullock) and astronaut Kowalski (Clooney) struggle to survive after disaster leaves them both stranded adrift with limited resources and no contact with Major Tom (Ed Harris).

For once, this year's big Oscar film lives up to the hype. I have never been a fan of Sandra Bullock before now, but Gravity made me want to jump in a spaceship and go give her a hug. George Clooney is also great, but then, he always is. It hooks from the very beginning and never lets up, from the initial assault onwards. 

It looks fantastic, with the action convincing throughout. Stunning whether on the big screen or small, 3D or not, it taps into a universal fear, like 127 Hours in space with rapidly rotating wreckage instead of James Franco and a rock. The tension is almost unbearable; I found myself squealing in alternate frustration and terror as Bullock's Stone struggles to survive, rarely caching a break. It's a relentless ride from start to finish, impressing in terms of characterisation, scripting and story. It may not be a horror film as we know it (Jim) but Gravity is terrifying at times.

Truly, genuinely scary, gripping and beautiful, Gravity is that rare film with real Gravitas.