There are a few movie experiences I have enjoyed in the theatre that I would call marvellous. The opening scene of Gravity is one of them, completely enthralling me and leaving the entire audience silent enough to hear a pin drop.
From the moment Mission Control tells Explorer to abort the mission and up to the moment Ryan and Matt rejoin after she experiences a terrifying tumble through time and space that left her temporarily unable to make sense of what she hears or sees, that seven-and-a-half minutes provided a spellbinding example of what I always hope to experience when I go to see a movie in the theatre.
Not long after they rejoin and face the disaster together, Matt makes a decision that’s outside of Ryan’s control – and then we still have two-thirds of a movie left for Ryan to get through the catastrophe she found herself in as best she can, and we all go on one hell of a ride.
If you haven’t seen it in a while, watch it on the biggest screen with the best audio you can, and enjoy a 90-minute visual & auditory marvel.