Of A Piece

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2015)

As was apparent from his previous film, "The Dark Knight Rises", Christopher Nolan has become the preeminent hack in Hollywood--and that's meant as a compliment. Nolan is a committed romantic: the only difference between him and, say, William Wyler, is that Nolan dresses up his love stories with astonishing visual effects and complex plots with a heavy emphasis on spiritualism. "Interstellar" is Nolan's most accomplished work yet, with a far more satisfying mise en scene than his previous non-Batman work, the tedious and frustrating "Inception", and he finds a more effective means to discuss what is fast becoming his major theme: time's effect on relationships, from the largest (all humanity) to the smallest (families) and his aw-shucks notion of transcendent love is sweet and satisfying. Though there are no real standouts, Nolan gets good performances from Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and, in supporting roles, Casey Affleck and Nolan stalwart Michael Caine; they're good but where Nolan is going for tearjerking tenderness, the actors don't quite deliver. Still, Nolan's script (written along with his brother, Jonathan) is beautifully written and thought-provoking and the mammoth but necessary effects (an homage to Kubrick, sharply filmed by Hoyte Van Hoytema) are as outsized as Nolan needs them to be. Everything feels of a piece here and, as in "Inception", you have to pay close attention. But this time it all flows together exquisitely.