SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
"At 600KM above planet Earth, the temperature fluctuates between +258 and -148 degrees Fahrenheit. There is nothing to carry sound. No air pressure. No oxygen. Life in space is impossible."
Now, what would you do if you are stuck in space… alone?
One could tackle this question either scientifically or emotionally. A film that answers with a fair balance of both is Gravity. With the most number of Academy Awards' nominations for a space movie till date, this is Cuarón's open challenge to the preceding visual standards set by Hollywood, at the time of its release in 2013.
Matt Kowalski: "Listen, do you wanna go back, or do you wanna stay here? I get it. It's nice up here. You can just shut down all the systems, turn out all the lights, and just close your eyes and tune out everyone. There's nobody up here that can hurt you. It's safe. I mean, what's the point of going on? What's the point of living? Your kid died. Doesn't get any rougher than that. But still, it's a matter of what you do now. If you decide to go, then you gotta just get on with it. Sit back, enjoy the ride. You gotta plant both your feet on the ground and start livin' life."
"Hey, Ryan? It's time to go home."