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| Nolan and McConaughey reach for the stars. |
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst
Written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn and Michael Caine
****
On an Earth covered with dust, Cooper (McConaughey), a pilot who now lives as a farmer, and his family are trying to survive with human life in its final stages. A chance encounter reunites him with NASA, where he learns of a space expedition to find a new human-friendly planet, and possibly a new home for the people on Earth. However, the time differential in deep space will be years in his children's lives, and Cooper is faced with the possibility of never seeing his family again. For the greater good, Cooper and his team brave the perils of deep space - wormholes, black holes and foreign planets. But will humanity be saved? Will Cooper be reunited with his family? Only time will tell.
It seems like Nolan couldn't reach any higher after Inception, but he's done it with his latest film, which offers a little something for everyone. There is science for the intellectuals, action sequences for the thrill-seekers, and even a love theme for those seeking an emotional connection (often a criticism of Nolan's other work). If a cinematic experience can outweigh a slightly flat script, this proves to be a spectacular film. Matthew McConaughey gives a committed, heartbreaking performance that might be the best thing he's ever done. The rest of the cast does well, but the remaining standout is Jessica Chastain, who delivers an emotionally-charged performance in an underwritten role. Like other Nolan blockbusters, this film is beautifully shot (by Hoyte Van Hoytema, a Nolan first-timer), majestically scored (by frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer), and masterfully mixed and visualized. Nolan reaches for the stars, and, while he might fall a little short, he has made a fascinating emotional roller coaster with his latest venture into science fiction.
Oscar Potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects
Nice review, glad you wound up liking this one. Yeah, Nolan certainly delivered, but damn was McConaughey good or what? The emotion on display in this movie slayed me. Good stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris. I've never had a problem with emotion in Nolan's films (Following is highly debatable, though), but this is his most emotional outing yet. It was a powerful experience. McConaughey is much better here than he was in Dallas Buyers Club, but I don't see him getting any attention for this performance, unfortunately.
DeleteDidn't love it as much as you did, but it was an enjoyable blockbuster. For an almost 3 hour movie the director did a good job of holding my attention, which I see as a positive for such a long film. I liked it, but I did have some issues with the storytelling, and for me Nolan went too far with the homages to 2001.
ReplyDeleteThe homages didn't bother me, but the script is far from airtight. Still, the performances and the emotional core of the film were terrific. I need to see this again.
DeleteI loved this movie. McConaughey was great in Contact but here he really managed to go up a few notches and I just love Jessica Chastain's work. I swear she was born to play strong leading roles, because I can't think of a single bad performance I've seen out of her. Admittedly the climax did get a bit confusing at points, but that is somewhat justifiable seeing as they were going into a black hole at the time (black holes are known to cause time dilations).
ReplyDeleteI was certainly excited about Interstellar and super-hyped, and I would say it delivered. Now that you've seen the movie, perhaps you'd like to join the amazing blogathon I have to go with its release in which you get to put together your own interstellar mission:
http://hitchcocksworld.blogspot.ca/2014/10/voyage-to-stars-blogathon.html
I loved the film too, though I really need to see it again. McConaughey and Chastain deserve any awards attention they can get, and I hope Nolan can finally get that Best Director Oscar nod.
DeleteInteresting blogathon idea. I'll check it out.
It’s a movie that I didn’t always understand, but it never lost my interest neither. Good review Josh.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan. I need to give it another look, but I think I understood most of it. I'm sure a second viewing will help.
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