Interstellar Review

It is finally here. My most anticipated film of 2014, one I've been waiting for since its announcement. If you've read any of my recent reviews, you'll know that I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan. I love all of his work, and most of his films are some of my favorite of all-time. One would call me a Nolan-fanboy, and I am quite alright with that. As I've said before, I won't take offense to being called a fan of high quality filmmaking. I had a chance to watch Interstellar on the big screen, and let me just say...man, was that worth the wait.

I was a little surprised, and honestly a little disappointed at some of the so-so responses that this film was getting prior to its release. Hating on Christopher Nolan seems to be the thing to do nowadays, even though he is probably the most intelligent and innovative filmmaker of his time. I wasn't deterred from seeing it, or anything; if Nolan made a romantic-comedy, I'd see it. I was just a little worried that it wasn't going to be all that I expected. By the time the end credits for Interstellar were rolling, all sense of disappointment had been eradicated from my mind. I was too busy thinking about how amazed and inspired I was by the thoroughly ambitious and utterly epic film I had just seen.

At first, I had a little trepidation about Matthew McConaughey starring in the lead role. I don't necessarily dislike him, I had just never seen that much of him. Before this film released, I made sure to watch some of what is considered the highlights of his career so far, and I was quite impressed with him. I have to say, his performance in Interstellar might just be the best I've seen from him. He's able to convey such emotion and depth to his character. You really don't see Matthew McConaughey, you see his character, Cooper.

I found that to be true for all the characters in Interstellar. There are famous actors portraying them, but all I really see are human beings that are actually going through the situations of the movie. Nolan has once again surrounded himself with formidable talent, and the performances are all terrific. Even the young girl who plays Cooper's 10-year old daughter is spot-on.

I'm sure everyone has heard by now that the visuals in the movie are great. I expected that, but some of the effects absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. There are some truly jaw-dropping images in Interstellar. Nolan used his trademark mix of practical effects and CGI, once again to fantastic effect. I'm being completely serious when I say that the visuals in this movie are some of the most impressively realistic I have ever seen in a film. If it doesn't get the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, I will be genuinely surprised.

The really extraordinary thing about Christopher Nolan's latest film is how enthralling it is. There's a very poignant emotional undercurrent that provides a true beating heart for the narrative. Even as the film is taking you far beyond the confines of our galaxy, it has an anchor in its powerful emotions. I'd argue that the thing Interstellar is primarily about is the transcending power that love has. The movie is often startlingly intimate in its relationships and storytelling.

I wasn't expecting it to be quite as intense as it ended up being. Nolan is known for making exciting movies, but this was something a little different. The suspense crept up on me, and I found myself gripping the arm of the theater seat on multiple occasions. Some of the sequences in space are beyond exhilarating. You feel like you are truly in outer space being sucked into a wormhole or a blackhole along with these characters.

Hans Zimmer has provided yet another mesmerizing score. I know that he and Nolan wanted to do something different from their past collaborations, and apparently Nolan didn't even tell Zimmer the genre of the film before he composed it. He simply told him it was about the relationship between a father and his daughter. That is truly remarkable considering how perfectly the musical score fits the entire movie. Once again, Hans Zimmer proves why he is one of the great film composers of all-time with a heartfelt, inspiring, and captivating score.

I feel like people will point to my love of Christopher Nolan as the reason why I loved Interstellar so much (let's be honest, there are just as many Nolan-haters as there are Nolan-fanboys). That may certainly be part of it; the director has a certain style that has always appealed to me. However, my fondness for the film also stems from just how stupefied I was by the entire experience. And it is unmistakably an experience, a visual and aural wonder of the highest order. I was riveted to my seat for the entire run time, and I haven't been so emotionally and intellectually engaged in a film all year. Not all of the questions that are asked about the universe and humanity's place in it are entirely original, but they are asked in compelling and thought-provoking ways.

If you're a fan of Nolan's other works, this is definitely something you should check out, and if you're a fan of sci-fi it's a great choice as well. The dying version of Earth that appears in the movie is quite intriguing, and it's clear Nolan has put a lot of thought into the creation of it. I'm sure it will interest sci-fi junkies. Even if the plot isn't completely seamless all the way through, Interstellar is the most fascinating and enthralling movie that I've seen in 2014. If I'm disappointed by anything, it's the fairly unremarkable response that some people are giving it. I wish everyone had the same experience watching it as I did. I have to say, it is my favorite movie of the year so far, and the first film that I think is truly worthy of an A+. Well done, Mr. Nolan. This is further proof that you will probably always be my favorite director, and I can't wait to see what else you have in store.

A+