Despite the fact that George Clooney has a few scenes playing a caricature of himself, his early death results in Gravity being a one woman show of Sandra Bullock putting on the performance of her career. Due to the extraordinarily complicated process of actually filming Gravity, all actors had to deliver their lines and act out whatever was expected of them with exact timing, otherwise the entire shot wouldnt align with the digital backgrounds, effectively rendering that take worthless. Theres no denying that it was gruelling stuff, especially considering that James Cameron had compared Sandra Bullocks performance to a ballet act. Director Alfonso Cuarón even coached her through multiple forms of expressing hyperventilation and which scenarios to use each one in, which is both ridiculous and an amazing touch. With all that dedication and talent in mind, it still doesnt compare to the phenomenal ensemble cast involved with 12 Years A Slave. Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays Solomon Northup as one of the most sympathetic characters to ever grace a feature film; his facial expressions alone tell a powerful story. The same goes for Lupita Nyongo playing an equally tortured soul alongside Solomon. And then theres Michael Fassbender who plays a cruel and seemingly psychopathic slave owner in one of what is already one of cinemas most memorable supporting roles. Winner: The one with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyongo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti, of course.
