This movie entertains. And that, surely, is its aim. After all, enough seems “off” with the science to me (even if it is awfully pretty) that it cannot have intended to educate. But this is not a documentary. It is a drama. And yes, it entertains as a good drama should. I often felt myself on the edge of my seat, heart racing at other times, and at times exhales forced out before I even realized I’d been holding my breath.
Sandra Bullock brings everything possible to her character, which I can only imagine was incredibly challenging, acting alone. (Yes, All is Lost is on my list to see, in which Robert Redford also takes the screen in a solo fashion for an extended period of time.) And although much of the “bad science” involves her character (and I’m no astrophysicist!), Bullock shines. Clooney, alas, serves up the Clooney I have come to see and expect: nice to look at but with the depth of a babbling brook. I’m not saying he is bad; he is decent. But beside Bullock’s reach (and in comparison to the great actors currently out there), Clooney is merely that: decent.
The movie, though, is beautiful. The shots in space, possible bad science aside, is the gorgeous picture that you would expect. And it’s humbling. And inspring.
It’s not the Best Film of the year, to me. But it is one of the great films of the year in a way others are not: without too deep a commentary on any issue too deep, it entertains. It entertains well.