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.