INTERSTELLAR

INTERSTELLAR

Going to see this in IMAX 70mm tomorrow night at 7:45 EST. My excitement is like expecting Christmas… I cannot believe that this film will disappoint. Here is a nice primer for those of you interested in reading beyond the reviews:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/04/-sp-christopher-nolan-interstellar-rebooted-blockbuster

Will get back with my (non-spoiler) thoughts on Friday morning.

@Young:

Love Chris Nolan, hoping Intersteller can be this generation’s 2001 Space Odyssey.

I identify with his development, direction and production philosophy on many levels. Only lately have I really recognized that and I can confidently call him my number one director in cinema… but that is just me anyway.

As for comparing it to 2001… I know it has been done quite a bit already and perhaps it is appropriate at some level. However, I tend to want movies to speak on their own terms or let them build their own legacy. Well, perhaps that is a poor phrase; I like it when movies trod new ground and take established themes or plots further than they already have been. (It may be impossible to build an individually legacy unless a film is truly unique) Having Nolan direct this film gives me a lot of hope that this furtherance will be recognized. He is easily the most freshly creative and intellectually stimulating Hollywood director that I have seen currently making movies. Granted I am not all that cosmopolitan in my viewing selection, nor am I a true movie critic or connoisseur. However, I do have my opinions based on personal preference. With so much formulae, re-trodding and re-making in the movie business today, I find Nolan to be the most prominent blend of old time quality and forward moving originality.

Truth be told I had never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey until probably four months ago. I had always wanted to, being a science fiction fan and knowing its place at No. 1 in the sci-fi pantheon. With only one viewing, and a pretty fresh one at that, I may not have the seasoned appreciation for it that someone who saw it in 1968 does. But I do recognize its significance and influence. Intellectually, visually and technically (even philosophically) it is a force to be reckoned with and very original as far as I can tell. It is deservedly the top science fiction film. It is hard to believe that any contemporary (science fiction) film can even approach that level of originality and cultural influence. I do not believe that Interstellar will surpass it as a marker of the genre, but I do think it could be this generation’s 2001… The film that causes space travel and weighty issues to be on the popular or collective mind.

It does seem like Nolan is taking the serious scientific and philosophical elements and merging them with a third one that 2001 did not do: identifiable humanization. For all the greatness of 2001, it feels very clinical when you watch it. Not that a human element is absent, because it is a core part of 2001; a sort of combination man vs. nature (unknown) and man vs. technology. And it probes the origins and future of humanity in space time. However, it lacks any sort of personal impact. The absence of emotions we know as most human (love, compassion, hate, jealousy, awe…) is as prominent as the lack of dialogue. 2001 is great at expressing the solitude, curiosity, isolation, fear, disorientation and discovery that is space travel and for that it is a landmark work of science and art. But it fails to make the audience feel much besides apprehension, fatigue and a dose of confusion and gives little for them to concretely identify with. Nolan’s Interstellar, by all indications, seems to be quite the opposite. It is a human story that explores the human condition from a less cosmological view and more on the level of a child and a parent; something everyone can identify with.

I am not saying this is a better plot or formula for a movie than that of 2001, just that it is certainly different, so the comparisons are only good up to a point. There is some divergence which makes us analyze Interstellar on its own merits. I for one am looking forward to it. I have shied away from reading reviews thus far because (1) I don’t like spoilers and (2) would rather my initial reaction not be tainted with the pessimism or over-exuberance of the full-time critics.

I have certainly been preparing for this to be my 2001 movie experience. I have been excited for it unlike any other movie (except one) and hope that it truly plumbs the depths space and humanity like it promises to.

PLEASE GO SEE THIS MOVIE

I am not sure I have ever sat through so much of a movie with my mouth held open in amazement and shock. No… I know I have not.

That was an incredible film. I didn’t analyze it or go into it with a skeptical mind or try to find anything wrong with it, so do not expect me to offer anything deeply critical here. But my, oh, my… I am still not sure what to say about it.

Acting was excellent.  Cinematography was beyond excellent. The music is utterly perfect. The story made moves that I did not at all anticipate (not that I was trying to). This movie exceeded my expectations in every way. There is even some very funny, but not obtuse comic relief; another thing I did not expect.

If you can see this in IMAX 70mm … please spend the extra $5 and do so. The film is so worth it, and I got there late and had to sit pretty close to the screen. Felt like I was in the movie. Just incredible.

Would love to discuss it further, but I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone. This probably won’t be everyone’s ideal film, some may even hate it (not sure how) and others find faults in different areas. But I think if you let yourself enjoy the ride and open up to what it is, it will be very enjoyable. Best film I have seen in the last 11 years. Hands down.

5/5

PS - And to continue YGs statement about comparing it to 2001: A Space Odyssey … that comparison is far more appropriate and apparent than I thought it would be. Watch and you will know.

EDIT:    Here is a nice link that shows the differences between IMAX and the other formats. Might be worth watching if you are on the fence about which version to see.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/11/07/interstellar_is_playing_in_imax_imax_experience_70mm_35mm_4k_2k_here_s_how.html

Glad you guys liked it about as much as me. Some of the critics are finding fault with a number of items like some of the science, the emotional aspects of the story, the exposition and the ending… but to me it is really nitpicking an excellent movie. It is not completely perfect but I LOVED it. Going to see it again tomorrow with some people.

This guy does a good job of explaining some of the scientific issues with the film, which I buy, but it is interesting to read. Fortunately, knowing the scientific errors do not ruin the movie for me in the slightest. I like to imagine that there are some things left unexplained in the film that may account for the errors, but I also realize that this is a major motion picture that has to compress some elements to have an acceptable story told on film. For all those who complain about how much was unexplained or compressed or whatever, it would have been pretty unwatchable if all those things were added. I think some explanations were deliberately left out because they are not that important and it really works well for the story… lets the audience make their own version of what happened. Can’t have everything right, but I think Nolan crafted a compelling story and a great movie experience.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/space_20/2014/11/interstellar_science_review_the_movie_s_black_holes_wormholes_relativity.html

@variance:

Oh and the best part is the wormhole is named Gargantua so there is an axis & allies reference.

Well, it was the black hole that is named Gargantua, but I loved that too. Appropriately spooky name and I did think of our Gargantua at the same time. Excellent choice.

I saw it again yesterday in  normal digital projection theater and the experience was quite different. I sat much closer to the screen than I normally would hoping to replicate the IMAX effect, but it didn’t feel the same. The audio portion was particularly lacking in comparison. In IMAX you can feel the sound all around you, the music reverberated and really gave weight to the scenes. The normal theater experience did not do that nearly as well. Felt much too flat and not quite bold enough.

Gaining more appreciation for the movie itself though.

@Young:

Hoping to see it soon, do we get the same multi layers of story telling symbolic of Nolan’s writing style?

Uh… I guess you could say so. It is, like all Nolan movies I know, a little more complicated than your average action film. The effects of time dilation certainly play into that. There are different themes at work too. But it is does not pile one on top of the other in the same way that Inception did, if that is what you are thinking. Sometimes it takes a moment for your brain to catch up to what is going on though, which is cool.

@Gargantua:

I love that they named the black hole after “me”. :D

You know, that unrelenting force of the universe that sucks the life out of everyone it can, and screws with their minds.

I never really considered how accurate this is until now.