This reviewer was annoyed enough at the repetitive TV ads for Gravity that he considered not going to see it, but is very glad he did. The ads cover about the first 20 minutes of the movie so, for a change, they don’t give away the whole story.

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play two astronauts working outside the space shuttle when a collision with space debris causes them to be cut loose from their ship and float free in space 600 km above the earth. Cut off from Houston by the accident, but temporarily safe in their space suits, they must find their way to a space station to save their lives.

Directed, and co-written by Alfonso Cuaron and his son Jonas, the movie does an incredible job of putting the viewer through an hour an a half fight for survival. Your emotions and fears seesaw as things get better or things get worse. It is sometimes hard to accept so many things going wrong on one mission, but you seldom get off the edge of your seat.

Solid performances from Bullock and Clooney (there’s virtually no one else in the film), with Clooney especially scoring as the calm, resourceful veteran. The movie is often quite beautiful to see. The special effects nearly always work and, unlike many films, don’t overshadow the characters, or even seem intrusive.

Certainly one of the year’s best and it’s hard to believe you are not really in space.

Rating: five deer out of five

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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff.