Ruination

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2015)

So in a nutshell... can I give this film 27 out of 10 stars?
Let us break the film down into component parts to individually review...
Soundtrack - Hans Zimmer - Absolutely perfect - fit, harmony, exquisite, intoxicating and unforgettable.
Screenplay / story - Flawless, beautiful, mind-bending, complex yet easy-to-follow, at times heart-wrenching, laugh-inducing, and tear-jerking - probably even more so if I were the father of a young daughter whereupon I could better personify the power of a father-daughter relationship and sympathize with the characters on a greater level.
Special effects - HOLY SMOKES - I'm speechless - everything was spellbinding. Wanna talk about androids? Of all the SciFi films I've seen which involve androids, the design, function, and character of TARS and CASE is head-and-shoulders above and beyond anything anyone has ever done - those machines were GENIUS!
Scientific accuracy - So we must acknowledge that it is a SciFi movie but thanks to the brilliant mind of Christopher Nolan, there is a lot more Sci than Fi in this masterpiece. Nolan brilliantly sought out one of the world's leading astrophysicists, Kip Thorne, to corroborate over the screenplay and make sure mankind's understanding of physics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and multi-dimensional space-time theories were not violated - Nolan even read one of Kip's books to the point at which he was able to apply it - good lord what dedication - studying theoretical astrophysics to make a movie ... no one can touch this guy.
Casting - I can really get carried away writing here my myriad of compliments on the diverse roles which each actor - Caine, McConaughey, Hathaway, Foy, and Chastain etc. had to portray but this would result in a very long review.
Highlights - What an epic role for a little girl - hats off to Mackenzie Foy - she struck gold on this role and delivered perfectly.
Matthew McConaughey has landed some good roles in his time such as U-571 and Contact but nothing like this - such complexity, from a mighty, smart, suave, and confident astronaut to a vulnerable yet relentless father - absolutely remarkable.
Michael Caine - clearly a must in every Nolan film I can think of - truly a well-seasoned actor - he had an emotionally heavy role here - perfectly delivered.
Anne Hathaway - similarly to McConaughey - has to portray a brilliant and confident astronaut but acknowledge that deep down, she is vulnerable, in love, driven - to-a-fault, and brave enough to know when to follow logic and reason and when to follow her heart.
In closing:
In my work, as an analytical chemistry Ph.D. student, it is well recognized that there is no such thing as perfection - every measurement or observation we make has some degree of error or imperfection on some scale. This is why analytical chemists are part statistician - we make such infinitesimally small measurements that statistics are required to verify that a specific event is real rather than random noise or error from the method applied. It is through this same lens that I study many other events of the world around me - I try to find the imperfection - awful habit really - pessimistic in a way.
Looking back toward some of my top 5 movies such as Good Will Hunting, Gattaca, and Contact, there was always some point in the film at which I felt something was either missing, or over-expressed, perhaps a point at which a given actor/actress didn't make a very convincing argument or statement, or where a major piece of the puzzle was missing. I'm sure everyone can think of examples. And then there was Interstellar.
After I saw Interstellar, my entire understanding of movies was drastically changed, my definition of quality in filming was redefined. I recall my Facebook post that I made after getting in my car following my first (of three) theater viewings of the film - I quote; "There are horrible movies, there are bad movies, there are OK movies, there are good movies, there are amazing movies, and then there is Interstellar." It truly lies in a league of its own.
Watching Interstellar - in a very real way - ruined me. It is tantamount to seeing that one girl who instantly strikes you as the most beautiful thing you've ever seen - you're captivated, transfixed, yet, just a moment later, you come to the realization that your definition of beauty has irreversibly changed - that no matter how many other girls you will see throughout your life, you know no one will ever come close to that one. Such is Interstellar. Such is the inevitable ruination that comes of witnessing perfection.

JVD