Interstellar

If you would have told me three years ago a Matthew McConaughey performance would leave me in tears (multiple times) I would have laughed in your face...

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Released: 2014

Staring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine

Rated: PG-13

  Christopher Nolan once again reminds me why I love cinema. A director who understands both the visual and narrative elements, he transports to worlds unknown and warps our minds all while keeping the story grounded in human relationships. Interstellar builds to a crescendo of sight, sound and emotion. A thrill to watch, this film is nothing less than the perfect cinematic experience. Nails were bit, tears shed, and breath taken away. Nolan, his creative team, and extensive acting ensemble create nothing short of the most original film of the year and (arguably) Nolan's best work. Before viewing Interstellar I pegged The Dark Knight as Nolan's definitive masterpiece; now, that title seems up for debate.

Bold and devilishly clever, director Christopher Nolan
on set with star Matthew McConaughey

The Dark Knight posses a timeless quality I call the re-watch factor. No matter how many times you've seen The Dark Knight there's always something new to appreciate in it's near perfect construction and execution. Interstellar lacks none of The Dark Knight's prestige or re-watchable attributes; those attributes, are simply different. I refrain from comparing Interstellar with Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy (primarily The Dark Knight) on the basis of adapted vs. original work. In the respects of an action movie I would rate The Dark Knight a better, overall movie; however, Interstellar isn't JUST an action movie. What Nolan does brilliantly, in all of his films, is implement personal drama onto large scale crisis. He takes an action movie, a mystery thriller, or in Interstellar's case, sci-fi and injects one of humanities' biggest struggles; relationships with other humans.

  Simple or complex, human relationships define us. The decisions we make and how we react to decisions made by others drive our lives, making interactions with fellow humans unique. Nolan applies the emotional human scale as a spring board for the plot and Interstellar's utilization of human relationships propel the film higher than any of his pervious work. A heightened emotional drama such as Interstellar needs a top notch cast to effectively communicate with it's audience. Once again, under Nolan's watchful eye and carefully written script, the best of the best shine their brightest. Known for bringing together large, talented ensembles, Nolan runs into the problem of having too much talent and not enough material. Not lamenting the length of Interstellar ,it's nearly 3 hours long, but I found myself wanting more from each character. Smaller parts such as Casey Affleck's, are fascinating and so well performed it's a let down when they're not important enough to warrant more screen time. A problem, but perhaps not the worst one to have.

Talented novice Mackenzie Foy & newly minted Oscar Winner Matthew MacConaughey 

  A surprise appearance alongside talent both young and old, Interstellar's cast carry the film in ways stunning visuals never could. McConaughey delves deeper into his emotional range, exploring a relationship most of his earlier selfish characters never touched upon. The father daughter relationship. Creating an honest relationship on screen is hard, creating an honest relationship between an adult and a child, harder still yet McConaughey's and the fresh faced Mackenzie Foy's performances meld seamlessly. Their connection is an essential force that dictates the tone of the film and audience's reactions to it's development. Jessica Chastain remains one of commercial film's most under-rated gems. She, like most of the supporting cast, lack the time to build a real character connection with the audience, most of it come from the fact that she is the older version of McConaughey's daughter. Chastain takes what she's given and amplifies her character's importance none the less. Anne Hathaway's role and performance felt somewhat forced during her crucial, text heavy scenes but over all her presence adds variety to the cast. This is a nice way of saying that the Nolan Brother's scripts lack WOMEN, an important and intricate topic I may touch on in a later post bu for now I'll leave it at that.

Jessica Chastain adds another knock out performance to her resume

 Interstellar, like Inception, offers a unique story producing more than it's far share of shocks. That being said, after several different viewings those shocks loose their value, no matter how brilliantly they play out. Deconstructing Interstellar reveals a formula nearly identical to Inception. Not the film itself, just it's formula. Tropes of time travel i.e. relativity direct Interstellar's mind-bending story and unravel it's plot akin to Inception. A fascinating comparison that will have film theorist/analysis dissecting Nolan's two films for years to come.

  Similar tropes and themes don't hold Instellar back from being the most original film of the year. Hans Zimmer returns with an hauntly gorgeous score reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, without a doubt, his best work since Inception. Shout out to the Orchestra's organ soloist whose disturbing and impactful chords set the film's otherworldly sense of dangerous beauty. Visuals, on par with any Nolan film, transcend expectations. Space allows unnumbered possibilities and Nolan accompanied by his team of visual effects artist take advantage of everyone of those possibilities.  A feat of senses and emotions, this bold space epic can not be missed on the big screen. Interstellar masterfully entrances audiences, cementing them to their seats and leaving them speechless.

Getting the chance to watch a film on 35mm was a real treat
and reading "This film was shot and finished on film" icing on the cake.

A taste of Hans Zimmer's beautiful score