With the 2013 release of Frederick Forsyth's novel The Kill List comes a fresh irony: this storyteller's oldest material continues to inspire Hollywood. In particular, Captain Phillips bore a striking resemblance to Forsyth's The Devil's Alternative and then there's Gravity - - the subject of this review. A key turning point in Alfonso Cuaron's space film steals from the novelist's finest short story, The Shepherd. Where's the room for originality if all the good ideas have been tried before?
 
Space debris causes disruption just as astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are repairing a ship. With oxygen running out and a race to reach the nearest shuttle, can these two people make it back to earth?
 
I normally enjoy Emmanuel Lubezki's camerawork, especially his fight footage for Ali. Yet, Gravity finds him strangely adrift. Because we don't see enough reaction shots during the first half-hour, it could be anyone in space. I almost forgot that Bullock and Clooney were in the film. Also, I can't help feeling that the former basically phones in her performance. Meanwhile, Clooney has the best moments, even though he's powerless to fix the interminable pacing.
 
If you had to listen to a rock concert underwater, then the result would be Steven Price's score. His work relies on droning sustains with no clearly defined theme.
 
After 90 minutes of Gravity, I was more than happy to see familiar surroundings again. 

(Released by Warner Bros. Pictures and rated “PG-13” for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.)