This space drama is deeply moving. I’ve seen it three times and every time I found it emotional and stirring in a way that’s hard to articulate. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are perfect in the lead roles, and the zero-g special effects are such that I never for once doubted that these were real astronauts in real peril. How did they film it?! My heart was pounding. I’ve heard a couple of people complain that the film “has no plot”, and I simply cannot understand this criticism. “Sole survivor of space disaster tries to return to Earth” seems like a pretty strong storyline to me. Perhaps what they mean is that the film is unusually focused – we are isolated up there with Dr. Ryan Stone, without distraction – and doesn’t follow the conventions of a standard drama. No sub-plots. No chitter-chatter between minor characters. And maybe that’s exactly why it stands out as being so exceptional.
