Finally got to see Interstellar
SPOILER FREE
I am quite mystified towards the divisive reception this movie's been receiving from both critics and audiences. From the critics, it holds a 74 percent on rottentomatoes, yet imdb has it number 11 on their top 250 at a 9.0/10. After viewing the movie in theaters, I keep asking myself on what did the critics see that bothered them so much to give the movie a lower than expected score. My only conclusion that I could come to is Christopher Nolan has released a complexed but incredible visionary film, that will receive a much deeper appreciation as time goes on. Movie history will be kind to Interstellar in the years to come, and there's no denying the film has left an impression on many audiences and reviewers. So what did I think of Interstellar personally?
I loved it. It was three hours well spent in the theater and really felt like I went on a space adventure with these characters. The plot of the film has Matthew McConaughey playing an ex-engineer who becomes an astronaut, leading an interstellar journey going through a wormhole to discover a new home for the human race, while also rescuing the Lazarus crew who left Earth previously and is surviving in the new discovered galaxy with the Endurance spaceship crew. The acting was fantastic from McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, and Anne Hathaway especially. These three performers really brought their A game to the film and really made you feel the emotions their characters were going through. Of all of Christopher Nolan's movies, this one carried with it the most heart of them all. McConaughey was amazing here as Cooper. I really emphatized with his characters decision to leave everything on Earth behind and go on this incredible space journey. It makes you think about what you would do if you were in that situation. Would you turn down an opportunity like that if someone like Michael Caine approached you about the adventure of a lifetime to find other planets that can inhibit life? It's great to see Michael Caine working with Nolan again on another film, it's almost like the two use each other as a form of good luck charm. Caine does great here as usual and gets a little more screen time than he received in Inception and maybe Dark Knight Rises. One still cannot get over his heartfelt performance as Alfred in that movie. I feel he was robbed of an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor right there. Anne Hathaway was incredible in this film, which dare I say is her second best work behind her key supporting role in Les Miserables. She plays a woman whose going through the same level of emotions as what McConaughey's character is experiencing, yet she is keen on fulfilling the missions objective. She's remarkable here and has some great moments, especially near the end. Jessica Chastain does a great job as McConaughey's older daughter Murph,who waits and waits for her father to return someday, while things on Earth begin to develop pertaining to their mission. Ellen Burstyn plays the older version of Chastain's character, and really nails home the emotion with the few scenes she has. The woman continues to blow me away ever since I saw her performance in Requiem for a Dream. She nearly brought me to tears in that movie and does something similar here. No spoilers. It's great to have supporting actors like John Lithgow, Matt Damon, and Topher Grace backing up the strong lead actors, and do admirable work with the little screen time they have. Even David Oyelowo shines in his scene with Cooper near the beginning.
From the standpoint of writing, directing, and visuals, Nolan once again proves to people his remarkable skills as a director, writer, as well as a visionary. Nolan really came to work with this one in the directing department, giving the film lots of heart and a grand epic scale of direction. The acting he gets out of his key players and emotion is incredible. It shows the admiration that both his actors and himself have for each other and the understanding of what both sides look for when working together. The script by Chris and Jonathan Nolan gives heavy doses of elaboration on the physics of the space trip, but also takes a lot of time to develop all the characters properly. For some, the movie may run at a bit of a slow pace, but that's totally justified because there is a lot of things that need to be setup in order for the second half of the movie to be considered believable. Nolan often gets criticized for elaborating too much on plot elements but he does that for good reason. He's leading you down the path that he intends to take you with the film, but also making you think about the whole process along the way. As for the visual effects, if you thought Inception was amazing, this movie blows that one out of the water in the visual department. Going through wormholes and landing on other distant but unstable planets is incredible and should not be seen on anything less than IMAX. There is a reason Nolan intended for this to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and his request should not be ignored. The sound and music are both incredible with Hans Zimmer abandoning the old drum routine and going for something more bold and creative here. Whereas the script may get some criticism for not being coherent enough to grasp, the visual and technical aspect of the film will receive high to unanimous praise from almost everyone.
Overall, Interstellar is a theater experience that should be experienced by everyone whose a fan of this directors work and who has a genuine thirst for great filmmaking and adventure. It may be a film that divides people on how they feel about it afterwards because of the advanced storyline and themes it presents, but there's no denying that Nolan is making a stamp for himself as becoming one of the greatest visionary filmmakers to ever grace the big screen. Interstellar is one of the years best films and here's hoping it will get numerous Oscar nominations in both technical and critical departments such as Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. Nolan does it again, can't wait for his next one.
9/10
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