Gravity

It’s been seven years since Alfonso Cuarón last took the director’s chair for the acclaimed “Children of Men,” a film that took technical filmmaking to a new level with long, impressive single-shot action segments. With “Gravity,” Cuarón propels the technical possibilities of filmmaking forward with one of the most visually stunning experiences of film to date.

Such a claim might sound like a hyperbole. But “Gravity” is a visual achievement that surpasses previous technical wonders such as Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” or more recently, Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.”

“Gravity” is set exclusively in space, which Cuarón uses to full effect by playing with zero gravity in ways that past space films never imagined. The opening 13-minute single-take sequence one-ups the director’s previous single-take benchmarks. By allowing the camera to effortlessly float around, Cuarón captures the film’s brief moments of tranquility before all hell breaks loose.

Only technical film gurus will be blown away by the inspired one-take that starts “Gravity,” but no one will be able to deny the awe-inspiring mayhem that comes during the film’s several action set pieces.

Quite simply, we’ve never seen action sequences filmed in this type of setting with such a visual flair, and there’s an odd beauty to the zero-G carnage that Cuarón unleashes.

Despite all the technical wizardry, “Gravity” is a straightforward drama film and one that mainstream audiences should easily grasp. The plot isn’t as emotionally taxing as “Children of Men,” but the loneliness and isolation of space provide enough emotional stakes to keep you invested in the characters.

Bullock and Clooney both play their characters respectably, but their performances are often afterthoughts compared to Cuarón’s camera work. Since they are the only two characters for most of the film, their performances are essential in keeping the film from lagging. Thankfully, the film’s breezy 90-minute runtime also alleviates this problem, ending the film before it ever overstays its welcome.

I rarely promote seeing 3-D films over their 2-D counterparts, but “Gravity” is a rare exception. “Gravity” must be seen in 3-D to be properly seen at all. Cuarón plays with the depth of field so often in the film that it feels as if 3-D is really the only way to take in all of the beauty onscreen.

Perhaps most stunning of all though, “Gravity” is an edge-of-your-seat nail-biter and one of the most entertaining releases of 2013. Cuarón has accomplished the seemingly impossible: he’s made the rare technical marvel that also works as a crowd-pleasing blockbuster.