Hello :-)
In a world where franchises rule, Christopher Nolan
movies are an event. I struggle to think of another Director working today who
commands audience attendance as much as he does. With a heavy trust placed on
in-camera effects Nolan creates exciting, cerebral blockbusters that
consistently make money. In his most recent offering the man behind the Dark
Knight Trilogy boldly goes to a galaxy far, far away.
In Interstellar the Earth is on
its arse. Crops have been destroyed by blights, the population have abandoned
their careers and become farmers as food levels are critically low and the
human race has abandoned any kind of technological advancement in favour of
basic survival. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a former NASA test
pilot and engineer who despairs of the death of curiosity. When he and his
daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) accidentally discover a secret NASA base, Cooper
is enlisted by his former mentor Professor Brand (Michael Caine) to lead a
space mission that carries the weight of humanity on its shoulders.
The trouble with being so talented is that Mr Nolan
has made a rod for his own back. We expect so much from him that
when he produces films that aren’t entirely successful there’s a collective
disappointment and more negativity than is maybe deserved. Interstellar is
ambitious but flawed and, in the context of his previous successes, is sadly
being viewed as a bit of a failure.
I adore the film’s set up. There’s something almost
funny about the idea that the end of Earth will be utterly mundane. So much of
our apocalyptic fiction is based around the idea of robots, zombies and or
other fantastical ways meet our demise that we rarely give credence to the idea
that the earth could end with a whimper. That dust and dirt puts paid to
humanity’s best laid plans feels realistic and the nods towards retrogressive
attitudes and humanity’s collective fatigue seem totally believable.
Nolan creates tension in some beautifully arranged
set pieces but he just as easily takes it away. The constant back and forth
between our intrepid explorers and their earth-bound counterparts is really
sloppily edited. As soon as something dramatic happens up in Space the action
almost immediately shifts back to earth, puncturing the momentum completely.
Don’t get me wrong, what’s happening of Terra Firma is interesting, it’s just
not as interesting as what’s happening to our protagonist in another galaxy.
You may be distracted from the film’s weird pacing
though, because Interstellar is
absolutely beautiful. You could take any shot, slap it on your wall and call it
art. Nolan’s love of in-camera effects lends Interstellar a gritty aesthetic creating
a visual connection to the film’s spiritual predecessors like Alien and Silent
Running. As you’ve almost definitely been told, if you can, see it in IMAX.
The spectacle is like nothing else I’ve ever seen.
It’s no secret that the idea for Interstellar has been batting around
since as early as 2006 and back then it was helmed by Steven Spielberg. The
recurring motif of parents and children in Spielberg’s work is well documented
but it’s also central to Nolan’s movies. Coop and Murph are the central pairing
and their relationship is totally convincing, Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie
Foy delivering note perfect performances. That development pays off in one
devastating scene where Coop, after being kicked in the arse by relativity,
watches years of videos from home. It would take a stony heart indeed not to be
moved by that; me? I cried like a child.
The Coop/Murph dynamic is the most moving one in
the film but in other attempts to tug at the heartstrings fall a little flat.
Poor Anne Hathaway, she’s lumbered with the worst dialogue in the movie, a
schmaltzy speech about how physics is the language of love. Bless her, she
gives it her all but no one believes that, least of all the audience.
In terms of concept Interstellar makes Inception look
like Noddy. There’s something rather
wonderful about the notion that a film maker would dare try and get audiences
to grapple with the idea of general relativity. There are lofty
aspirations at the heart of Interstellar and for someone like
me who dreamed of working for NASA as a child, films like this are to be
cherished. Showing audiences the wonder of space travel isn’t just
entertaining, it’s inspirational.
The crux of the problem is that Interstellar, much like a black hole, is
too bloody dense. Clocking in at two hours 49 minutes you’d think we’d glide
from one scene to another but instead it feels as though Nolan is trying to
cram as much as he can into every second. Space jargon, emotional cues, plot
exposition, action sequences, musings about 5th dimensions; it all
comes flying at you so thick and fast it leaves no time for more reflective
character moments. I appreciate Nolan’s ambition to elevate blockbuster cinema
and aspire for it to be more but never underestimate the power of breathing
space in a film.
Interstellar is less abstract
than the comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey would suggest.
It’s primarily a story about parental love, the way we’re utterly screwing our
planet and the power of human relationships, all seen through the lens of space
travel. Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy are fantastic, the visuals are
stunning and in general I liked the movie, but there’s no getting away from the
fact that it has issues.
To say that Interstellar is awful
is wrong but to say it’s a masterpiece is also off the mark. Would we feel
differently about it if it had come from someone other than the man behind Inception and The
Dark Knight? We will never know, but I feel as though, much like in the
film itself, time will be a key factor. After the dust has settled will Interstellar be
praised as a flawed masterpiece or will conventional wisdom label it a
‘Turkey’? We’ll have to wait and see.
This one deserves a bit of discussion so if you
have any thoughts on Interstellar feel free to leave them
below.
Now for a couple
of…
Reasons to be
cheerful :-)
1. We have a
proper trailer for 2015’s Jurassic World!
The Park is open and I can’t wait to see it :-)
2. The Pitches
are back! Behold the trailer for Pitch Perfect 2!
That’s all for
today :-)
Goodbye till
next time!
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