Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon
Original Release Date: November 7th, 2014
Christopher Nolan knows no bounds. He’s created films
which are out of order, which contain deep webs of twists and theories, turned
Batman into a trilogy of epic dramas, and made dreams cool. With all these realms conquered it only made
since for him to go to the final frontier of space science fiction.
Interstellar is Nolan’s first foray into the realm of science fiction, and it
can easily be said that the combination is a match made for the stars.
The world of the film starts incredibly depressing and
dark. At some point in the far future
the planet Earth itself is dying. Crops are going extinct and resources are so
few that anyone who is not a farmer or has the aptitude for college is viewed
as useless. The world has forgotten about technology as its clinging on for its
dear life. Matthew McConaughey plays
Cooper, a former astronaut raising his kids in the dry dusty farmlands of
dystopian Midwest America. Nolan’s
attention to detail even in these scenes would make for a fascinating gritty
film on its own but it is of course only the barest tip of the iceberg.
Circumstances soon lead to Cooper being sent on a mission
into the depths of space, alien worlds, and even places which are indescribable. One may infer that they have a full sense of
the film from trailers but the way it unfolds is fantastically surprising.
Nolan makes us feel as if we are a member of the crew with Cooper and his
peers. That’s the strength of any
Christopher Nolan film in that no character is underutilized. An exceptional cast has been assembled.
McConaughey’s Cooper is nuanced, tenacious, and compassionate in his
motives. Anne Hathaway’s Amelia Brand
brings intelligence and critique to the mission. Even less seen crew members Romily (David
Gyasi) and Doyle (Wes Bentley) get their moments to shine through action and
dialogue. Michael Caine, Jessica Chaistain, Casey Affleck, an unexpected Matt
Damon, and surprisingly even Topher Grace bring quality to their roles but to
say who they are exactly would ruin the surprise. There’s also the brilliantly sarcastic
voiceovers of the cool geometric robots in the starship crew of TARS(Bill
Irwin) and CASE(Josh Stewart), and a minor but funny spot by John Lithgow as
Cooper’s father in law Donald.
In fact each character has at least a notable modicum of
intelligence as the film requires more cerebral thought of any of Nolan’s prior
work. Scientific terms are flown around nearly every few minutes which may
overwhelm some viewers but luckily it’s presented for the most part in a way
that’s digestible. As mentioned earlier it’s as if the viewer is immersed in
this world so whether it be Cooper drawing a diagram or someone explaining a
formula it usually makes sense but not always. Some of the “scientific” elements can become
overwhelming at times even then especially near the chaotic end which involves
the science of a black hole.
Immersion and atmosphere are two of the absolute most key
words that embody Interstellar. I had
the pleasure to view the movie in IMAX format and I absolutely recommend
it. This is a movie meant to be viewed
on a proper massive screen. No matter how one sees it, the vistas of the cosmos
and alien worlds that are visited are like actual photographs and paintings
come to life. This is a damn beautiful
movie and the amazing thing is that Nolan has managed to make the effect work
whether it be at the half hour mark or 2 and a half hour mark (it’s a long and
at times slow burner but worth it).
This is complemented by an amazing ethereal score by Hans Zimmer of
piping organs and electronics. There is
a power that emanates from Interstellar and after exciting the room after
viewing it you will have an ache of excitement over your body since it will
have felt like YOU were the one who went to the void and back. The visuals are of such high quality that it
has me questioning if Nolan himself went to space to film this.
It’s not perfect though but is almost there. This may be because I am comparing it to
Nolan’s astonishingly impressive pedigree, but the story and twists within felt
less shocking that in other works by him. A couple moments which are meant to be
massively shocking feel less impactful because of over extensive foreshadowing
to them. If a risk is mentioned as being
a possible risk, there is no reason for the character to react in that way when
it ends up happening. You’ll know what it means when you see it. The 85% mark of the film or so is also
handheld semi-messily as there is repition of a certain revelation over and
over again a few more times than it should have been. It’s a convoluted bit in an
otherwise solid dramatic narrative.
There’s also the fact that what’s going on the decaying Earth is much
less interesting than what Cooper and crew face in deep space. Switching
between the two perspectives brings some jarring moments.
Overall however Interstellar delivers on the potential a
Nolan/sci-fi collaboration promised. His trademark quality production and
direction, visual and aural magnificence, and exciting set pieces are all
present. A large and great cast delivers
an intense emotional storyline. It can
be a bit much to take in at times, but that’s what the exploration of space is
all about. We are specks in a mysterious universe and Interstellar showcases
what dangers and wonders that can bring. 9.1 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment