Oscars 2014: If We Picked The Nominees (Best Picture)

3. Gravity

The fourth and final Best Picture nominee to make the list, Gravity has been atop many critics top ten lists, and it is certainly understandable why. The film is an emotional gut punch that doesn't let up until the credits role. Just like the vacuum that is space, as soon as the film begins your body is vacated of all its oxygen as you hold your breath for the wild ride that ensues. Director Alfonso Cuaron's first film in seven years (four and a half which were spent actually making Gravity a reality), Gravity tells the story of two astronauts, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), who are stranded in space after a debris storm turns their spaceship into floating pieces of space garbage. The film is the most technologically advanced film in the history of cinema (I say this without any reservation or hesitation) and is simply a beauty to behold. Master cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski, who already turned the cosmos to a thing of beauty in Terrance Malick's The Tree of Life, really outdoes himself with the photo-like realism of the outer space that is the setting of Gravity. In fact, the aesthetic magic that is Gravity is so stunning that it is the first film that fully justifies the use of 3D, and the technology that made Gravity possible almost makes up for all the terrible things CGI has done to the movies. Now Gravity's critics point out the weaknesses in the film's script. They say that the backstory of Ryan's character is schmaltzy and trite, and that ultimately Gravity is nothing more than a really sleek roller coaster ride. Surprisingly, I don't disagree with critique of the screenplay, as the script is easily the weakest point of the film, however, to the criticism that the film is no more than a thrilling ride, I say so what? While cinema can engage on an intellectual and emotional level, going to the movies is also an experience, and the fact that Gravity creates one of the most memorable experiences I had at a movie theater in a long time (or anywhere else for that matter) should be applauded, not derided. Gravity may very well end up being crowned by the Academy as the best film of 2013, and even though it was not quite the best film of the year in this man's humble opinion, it's definitely deserving of the award. The opening scene alone, which goes on for an extended amount of time before the first cut of the film, will long be remembered for years and years to come. Whether Gravity wins Best Picture or not, at the end of 2019, when critics compile their best of the decade lists, expect Gravity to pop up on a couple of these lists.