On The Eve Of It's US Premiere, Alfonso Cuaron's Stunning "Gravity" Is Already Attracting Early Oscar Buzz

Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron’s head-spinning space adventure starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney premieres across US theatres today. The movie, which features a very minimal cast and storyline, has none the less managed to impress quite a few reviewers with its ambitious, at times even dizzying cinematography. Critics have been impressed by said heart-stopping cinematography ever since the first trailer was released and now, following the first screenings, Bullock’s performance is attracting a lot of attention too.

The movie's visual landscape is has impressed critics.

Maybe a bit of Oscar buzz too? In the film, Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her very first shuttle mission. She teams up with Clooney astronaut Matt Kowalsky on what is supposed to be a routine procedure, until everything goes haywire, their shuttle gets destroyed and the two end up stranded in space.

Watch The Gravity trailer below.

Besides Cuaron’s vision, Bullock’s performance in the film has also been getting generally positive reviews. The Wrap’s Todd Gilchrist is of the opinion that Bullock “carries the weight of the film on her shoulders and maintains a delicate balance between debilitating fear and pragmatic resilience.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman describes Bullock’s performance as being “as desperate and resourceful and anxious and brave, and as primed to live, as Sigourney Weaver in the last half of Alien.”

Bullock has also been praised for her performance.

Even with its minimal setup, so far it seems that both critics and audiences (Gravity currently has a 95% approval rating and 98% user interest on Rotten Tomatoes) are enthralled by both the visuals and the performances in the film. Of course, American audiences are yet to have their say on this discomforting space tale, but at this point it seems that Gravity has matched both the timing and the tone that could power it through a highly successful awards season.

 The film's timing is also perfect.