In the same way the
Oscar academy seems to have a thing for films with a period setting
the flip side of this is their track record of overlooking Science
Fiction films. This is to the point where no film of that genre has
ever won the top gong (though Sci Fi has often dominates the
technical awards). This may be part of a wider cultural phenomenon
of critics and filmy types not taking the genre seriously. This
view has broken down somewhat in recent years with films like
Inception and District 9 earning both critical acclaim and best
picture nominations. Perhaps the best chance of breaking Sci Fi's
long dry spell is with Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity.
The set up is simple
enough. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play two astronauts who,
whilst on a space, walk are stranded after their shuttle is destroyed
by a debris field caused by those damn Ruskies shooting down their
own satellite. It's has been praised as a game changer in both
special effects and 3D film making. So how does it stack up?
