Alfonso Curaon’s latest film came with it a lot of anticipation.

His first film since 2006’s Children of Men. Two big name Hollywood stars in Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.  Massive early screening buzz and many claims of being the greatest movie of the year.

And I’m happy to say, Gravity lives up to it all.

Lasting a speedy and heart-pounding 90 minutes, the film tells the story of two astronauts - the veteran Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and the “in it for just this mission” bio-engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock). Sent into space to perform routine repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope, their trip is changed dramatically, as debris from a Russian space station flies in - stranding the astronauts and sending them into a tailspin of survival.

The film which follows is difficult to describe without spoiling, but in my eyes, is an unabashed masterpiece of filmmaking.  Using his trademark no-cut sequences, matched with incredibly realistic CGI environments and a gutsy and true performance from Sandra Bullock, Cuaron creates a movie which will grab you from frame one and refuses to let go until the credits.  If anything the fact that the film is only 90 minutes is a relief for your heart.  You feel every setback and victory, every moment of small joy and incredible fear.  It’s film as a true rollercoaster ride, yet you never feel insulted. The movie could easily head towards blockbuster territory, but instead remains grounded as a film that is both small in scale, and epic in proportion.

I cannot recommend this film enough. While I felt there was a moment of overt visual storytelling, and I could’ve preferred a slightly more ambiguous ending, Gravity holds as one of my favorite films of the year, favorite films of the decade, and may be one of my favorite movie going experiences as an adult.

See Gravity, now. Find the biggest screen, with the best sound, splurge for the 3D, and see filmmaking at its best. I cannot recommend it enough.