Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" Is, Dare I Say, Stellar; Epic Beyond Words

   

   There's an idea or thought that has been around for quite some time making the case that Hollywood has abandoned all hope of original material and has simply decided to chug along, siphoning the spoils of big blockbuster films. I have a hard time with this idea only because I can see the relevance to both sides of that argument. There has been a surplus of big-budgeted, bloated Hollywood popcorn flicks and I'll be the first to admit that I scurry out to see them as often as any body else does. But over the last few years I've tried to expand my horizons, delving more into the independent films, small-budget movies; those films that tend to slip under the radar. The reason being that there's something to say when a filmmaker can take a piece of material in a familiar genre and do something original with it. Nine times out of ten, these films will surprise you. Now I'm not saying that larger-scaled movies can't have the same affect. Say what you will (movie purists), but James Cameron's "Avatar" was a cinematic piece of art; grand and epic, worthy of toting its title as the highest grossing movie of all time. One movie recently has been on my mind since the first trailers were released. It's been out a week and I finally got to go see it. If I had to sum up a review or reaction in one phrase, it would simply be:

Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic "Interstellar" blew my freakin' mind.

 Christopher Nolan is a beast of a filmmaker. His breadth of work is vivid, original, fresh, and inspiring. If your only acquaintance with his work happens to be limited to only, say, his iconic Batman trilogy, then you've only scratched the surface my friends. "Interstellar" is one of the more thrilling sci-fi stories I've seen on the big screen. The thing about sci-fi though is that there really isn't a whole lot you can't get away with, concerning subject matter. You can literally go anywhere, do anything, and it'll "work" within the confines of the genre. Though, it doesn't always mean they'll be great (*cough*, "Battlefield Earth", *cough*) Where sci-fi films can become a quality viewing experience is through the central story. Christopher and his brother Jonathan Nolan wrote "Interstellar"; crafting a story so grand, so emotionally driven, so human, that it's almost pleasantly exhausting to view. Just shy of 3 hours, you never notice the extent of the run-time as you watch, which is ironic in that so much of the movie deals with the idea of time.

   Speaking of time, the film takes quite a bit of it to establish humanity's current situation in this fictitious future. In a nutshell, the Earth is getting ready to kick the bucket and humanity is striving to survive. There isn't much else to set up, one would think. But Nolan takes great lengths to establish the struggle that humans are living with, drawing you in and allowing you to really become emotionally connected to the central characters, before the grand adventure even begins. Movies often tend to skim through the set-ups in order to get to the high-action, uber-entertaining moments, sacrificing valuable character development. I applaud Nolan for A) not doing that, and B) taking the ample amount of time needed. We are introduced to Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a farmer and former pilot who lives with his two kids and his father-in-law (John Lithgow). Cooper hates farming, but he strives to give his children a life worth living in a world that is falling apart around them. Certain events lead him to an opportunity to join the effort to save humanity, something he and the rest of the world was unaware of. He leads a group of explorers on a daring mission through a wormhole in an attempt to find a potentially habitable planet that can sustain human life.

   This film asks a lot of you. If you see it and don't quite understand everything by the end, it really won't affect your experience. That may seem like a strange idea but it's true. The film tugs at some truly emotional points, exploring questions like: What does it mean to be human? What are humanity's limitations? How far are we as a species willing to go in order to maintain our survival? Are the bonds that connect us as human beings something of a psychological origin, or are they tangible? These questions and more are the driving force behind this film. Being able to tap into some of the very fabric of human intellectual understanding, through a medium that is meant to simply entertain, is a true mark of a talented filmmaker. "Interstellar" isn't Nolan's best film. It's going to be tough to top the likes of "Memento" or "The Dark Knight", but in a way "Interstellar" has allowed him to reinvent the genre, taking it to a place that is visceral, intimate, almost carnal in it's experience; stamping his name further into the annals of cinematic artistry.

  Though Christopher Nolan deserves most of the credit, I gotta give it up to Mr. McConaughey. To date, this will rival his performance in "Dallas Buyers Club", which he completely transformed and embodied. I just haven't seen this quality of performance from him in I don't know how long. Like Odysseus, Cooper is our catalyst of emotion through this story, and "Interstellar" is McConaughey's "Odyssey". The supporting cast was great as well. Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine...the list goes on. Stellar performances all around. The underlying factor that caps off this amazing experience is the fantastically ominous and powerfully engaging score by the master himself, Hans Zimmer.

   I highly recommend, nay, I implore you to go and experience "Interstellar". The film is just that, an experience. It's jarring, beautiful, intimate, and equally epic in scale. Plus, it's just freakin' cool! It was truly one of the more fun and engaging experiences I've had at the cinema this year and I feel it will be for you as well. If you're not moved by the time the credits roll, there's something wrong with you.