The Case for Gravity

With the Oscar race well underway, I find myself once more dismayed by the prevailing opinion. According to the experts, 12 Years a Slave is well on its way to an Academy Award for Best Picture. And in a year with so many stand out performances, screenplays, and marvels of film-making, that may very well be its only award. 

I liked 12 Years a Slave. It is the rare kind of film that offers an experience more than a narrative. For a couple hours I visited the American South circa the 1850s, and I didn't like what I saw. The tale of Solomon Northrup is worth telling, and Steve McQueen told it well. 

Yet the film didn't manage to move me. It didn't get me attached to Solomon's life in the north because it opened with Solomon already a slave. It didn't manage to frighten me because it never took a moment to explain the rules. I was uncomfortable watching Chiwetel Ejiofor hang from a tree, but I didn't understand why no one would cut him down, or why children felt comfortable coming out to play once the struggle stopped. The power of the sex scene was lost by showing it twice, and the reunion at the end was overly reserved. In short, I just don't think this was the best picture of the year. 

My vote for Best Picture was easily won by Gravity. Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki had already proven themselves with Children of Men, but with Gravity they took their craft to a new level. The gorgeous photography combined with the unfathomably long shots are cinematic magic, and these are only two pieces of the technical masterpiece that is Gravity. Every element of the film-making was part of the storytelling. From the sound design to the special effects, the entire production was crafted to give the audience an experience only possible at the movies. 

But where I think Gravity really earns the right to be called the best picture of the year is in the story and the performances. Sandra Bullock's career isn't filled with many examples of Thespian prowess, but she carried this film with ease. The story also manages to do what film-makers like Terrence Malick and Lars von Trier dream of. It is the story of life, its obstacles, and the capacity of humans. Behind the thrills, it was genuinely moving. 

Gravity is almost sure to win the Oscars for visual effects, sound mixing, sound editing, and cinematography. It will likely win for score and editing. Cuarón is the frontrunner for Best Director, and Sandra Bullock is Cate Blanchett's only real contender for Best Actress. Are we really thinking about giving Best Picture to something else?