Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity lives up to the rave reviews it has garnered. A technical masterpiece, it reminds us how breathtaking cinema can be in its scope and realism. It is essentially a minimalist story set against the limitless backdrop of space. The indomitable will for survival, the most basic human instinct, entwined with our capacity for technical marvel and exploration. Cuaron's past work has been excellent. His last film, Children of Men, was enthralling. It showed us Cuaron's ability to suck you into character driven stories. His seven year hiatus must have been like a monk completing the mastery of his skill, because Gravity raises his level of excellence even further. The Directing Oscar is officially his to lose.

Sandra Bullock stars as Ryan Stone, a doctor on her first mission into space. The film opens with her updating communications equipment on a space walk. She's uncomfortable, very uneasy in her situation. Houston engineers and the jetpack boosting mission commander, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), banter about inanely as he revels in the majesty of his last trip into space. But serenity turns to alarm as Houston warns that a destroyed Russian satellite has impacted another satellite, creating a hailstorm of debris hurtling through space toward them at the speed of a bullet. They attempt to re-enter the shuttle, but are too late as it is shredded like tin foil. Ryan is ejected into space, tumbling incoherently into the black. What follows is an epic quest for survival. She must conquer the astonishing difficulty of her situation, and deep sorrow of a tragic past. Die serenely in the cold vacuum, or fight to the last breathe to make it home.

While the story is great and acting tremendous, the technical marvel of Gravity has to be applauded first. It is a staggering film experience. As in Avatar and Life of Pi, the IMAX and 3D format are once again pushed farther. I was sucked in by the beauty of Gravity. It's amazingly realistic visuals and sound envelope you in the cosmos. You feel the confinement of the space suit. But while space and earth loom impressively, the chaos of Stone's odyssey is so real. The special effects team on Gravity did a helluva job. They better clear some space on the shelf come award season.

Gravity's plot is as primal and basic as it gets. Cuaron and his brother Jonas wrote the script almost entirely from Stone's point of view. They give her a tragic back story that has hurt her so badly, that even the excitement of being an astronaut can't overcome it. Sandra Bullock's performance, so serious and emotional, is far beyond anything we've seen from her previously. The will to live is the most basic human instinct. We see her courage grow and it's entirely believable. The Cuaron's find humanity in space. Their writing is simple, direct, and powerful. I didn't think there was a line of unnecessary dialogue.

Science fiction has a benchmark in 2013. I applaud Cuaron for his vision and ability to make Gravity. It is a captivating story and beautiful film. It does require you to suspend disbelief, but why else do we go to movies if not to experience the fantastic. See Gravity in IMAX 3D. It's totally worth it. In fact, you would be doing a disservice to yourself as a moviegoer if you did not. Gravity is a serious contender for the year's best film.