Interstellar

 

Expectations:
Although we only get a film from Christopher and Jonathan Nolan every two years or so, my praise for the films written and directed by the brotherly duo has permeated many months of this blog. That said, most of you already know how much I love the Nolan brothers and their epic films. From Inception to The Dark Knight to The Prestige, these guys know how to get to me in some special way, and, of course, I expected nothing less from Interstellar. In fact, when I first heard about Nolan's new "space film," I was convinced that Interstellar was going to be the greatest Nolan flick of all time. Why?... Well, I don't know!... Then came the trailer, which was quite underwhelming, in my opinion. If Gravity had yet to be released, maybe I would have been impressed with the visuals, and, had we not seen soooo much of Matthew McConaughey over the past year, maybe I would have been intrigued with that casting move. Unfortunately, as the release of Interstellar got closer and closer, my expectations continued to slowly fall. But, about thirty minutes into the film, when all plot twisting hell began to break loose, I remembered what I long for in a Nolan flick... and why I long for it...

Plot:
Very few people have Nolan's ability to construct such a complex storyline in such a short time frame (although many people complained about the 3 hour run time). I mean, the fact that Inception was able to make any sense, at all, to anybody, really fascinates me, to this very day! Interstellar was able to take advantage of that same understandably complex world in which Nolan's ideas grow, and the film did so with much more ease than I had expected. Of course, I can't say too very much on here, without spoiling anything, but I challenge you to find a more complex, science fiction storyline with such a great heart and so many flowing emotions, throughout! Interstellar was a bit of a mold-breaker for Nolan, with a different feel and a much different setting. However, Nolan stuck to his guns and produced one heck of a story, which is exactly why we tend to always love his films.

Characters:
Although the acting was not poor, there were really no standout performances from any actresses or actors. Sure, there were a few intriguing characters, but nobody was able to blow me away (which is quite a common theme among Nolan films... save The Dark Knight).

Negatives:
Ellyn Burstyn's character (who shall not be named, for the sake of spoilers) was extremely awkward, in my opinion. At that point in the film, I was a bit too caught up in trying to figure out what the heck just happened to really be able to soak in her very short role in the film. But, if I had been able to pay attention more, I still don't see myself liking her. It was just a little weird, for some reason. Additionally weird was the presence of the "smart robots," CASE and TARS, voiced by Josh Stewart and Bill Irwin. They just did not feel necessary, at any point in the film!

Positives:
Although his performance lacked the soul of his turns in The Wolf of Wall Street and Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey was still quite impressive in the lead, as Cooper (which miraculously turned out to be his last name, at some point in the film). Honestly, I can't think of another Nolan character that ever earned as much empathy as Cooper earned in the first hour of Interstellar. Kudos to both McConaughey and the Nolan brothers for building a film around such a great lead character.

Conclusion:
While Interstellar will never be thought of as Christopher Nolan's greatest film, it did manage to exceed my lowered expectations and impress me quite a bit. Like never before, Nolan was able to go beyond intriguing me and reach a level that made me truly care what happened to the characters. I have always cared about the outcome of Nolan's films, but the characters are typically nothing more than a piece of the puzzle. This time around, Cooper was the entire picture! There were certainly Nolan-esque moments and impressive visual elements, but, in the end, most of those aspects were washed away, in order to keep the focus on the characters. If you are not a fan of Nolan's other films, check out Interstellar, as it provides many different elements that are sure to impress any moviegoer. I give Interstellar 3.85 out of 5 stars.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Expectations:

If a film can work the words "Wall Street" into its name, there is a darn good chance that I'm going to get excited about it, and The Wolf of Wall Street had the two words, plus a great cast and big time Oscar buzz. I mean, rarely do movies come along that can fulfill my desires for a film and feature sophisticated financial gab. Even more rarely (in fact, never before) do those movies feature one of my favorite actors, Mr. Jonah Hill. No man can carry an entire movie for three hours, which I knew would make Hill's role as Donnie Azoff extremely important in the determination of judgement for the lead, Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). Although I hate to sound like a broken record, DiCaprio is but a mediocre actor, in my opinion, and I can't understand why people are upset about his lack of an Oscar win. The Wolf of Wall Street had a lot going for it, but I wasn't completely sold. So, I figured I better go watch and see for myself...

Plot:

Drugs, Sex, Money... There really isn't too much more to say! 

Was the story interesting? Yes... But, after three hours of extravagance and blatant immorality, I could not wait for the movie to end! On top of that, there was very little financial gab, which really made me mad. In fact, on one occasion, Belfort began to explain what an IPO was, as he talked to the camera, but, after a few sentences, he noted that no one really cared what he was talking about. At that point, I wanted to jump up in the theater and yell "I CARE!!!!!... PLEASE TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!" It just frustrated the crap out of me, because my expectations were gradually plummeting, as they journeyed along for three full hours. I may sound discouraging, but there were some very hilarious moments and great performance... The story just wasn't for me.

Characters:

While The Wolf of Wall Street, as a whole, may not have been my favorite, the actors' performances really blew me away. From Leonardo DiCaprio, as the lead, to the smaller roles, played by Henry Zebrowski and P.J. Byrne, the cast was spot on. The extravagance and blatant immorality (which I previously denounced) allowed for some intense performances that provided many laughs and exciting moments that had me quite impressed.

Negatives:

The only real negative that I found was Kyle Chandler's FBI agent, Patrick Denham, who just couldn't quite pull off the emotions that I believe he was supposed to be displaying. I'm not sure, though, because I could never tell what he was feeling or thinking or anything. If he would have been cut out of the film, it would have gone along just as well.

Positives:

There were so many outstanding performances that it is very hard to narrow this down to a small section, but I will try my best. First, although his screen time was very, very limited, Matthew McConaughey's Mark Hanna was absolutely great. In fact, he was the only one who really had anything to say about the financial markets and how to take advantage of them, and, on top of that, he was quite a cutup. Second, Jonah Hill, who is one of my favorite actors, blew me away, yet again, as he continues to prove his versatility. Hopefully, Hill will merit a second Oscar nom for this performance. I'm certainly going to be cheering him on. Finally, the main man, Leonardo DiCaprio, gave what I believe to be his greatest performance to date. I've never been a huge DiCaprio fan, but with this performance, along with his amazing role in Django Unchained, DiCaprio looks to be headed in the right direction. He certainly put everything he had into this film and is deserving of any recognition that he may receive.

Conclusion:

NEWS FLASH: Leo is going to have to wait one more year for his first Oscar, as 12 Years a Slave begins to overcome the awards season. Regardless, it was nice to be impressed by a performance of his, and the entire cast was quite impressive. Unfortunately, the length and mass of rediculousness failed to accent the great performances, which was quite disappointing. I have been waiting for The Wolf of Wall Street for quite some time, making it's mediocrity a tough pill to swallow. I know that many folks really enjoyed the film, so don't let my comments discourage you completely. If you have three hours to sit there and watch people pop pills and rob people, The Wolf of Wall Street will be the perfect film for you. For the rest of you, go watch Walter Mitty (no pills or robbing) or American Hustle (no pills, plenty of robbing). I give The Wolf of Wall Street 2.71 out of 5 stars.