2014: A McConaughey Odyssey

Rating: 8/10 (5 November 2014)

In a pretty crowded 70MM IMAX auditorium as the credits began to roll, it was dead silent. For a Christopher Nolan film, usually there would at least be several faint claps in the theater, or that is only reserved for the 8:00 showings the day before rollout.
There were some really good aspects of Interstellar however. If you see it on 70mm IMAX which is 97% recommended for a good-not-great film like this, you get the true scope of the movie and by God it might be one of the most visually incredible films I personally have watched this year. The story, until the ending, was also pretty entertaining. Matthew McConaughey gave a fairly honest performance, Christopher Nolan orchestrates the film pretty efficiently, and the cinematography is probably the surefire Oscar winner this year.
However, there were some pretty bad aspects that kinda nearly ruined the film, and it will probably be very noticeable if you are to see this on a plebeian digital screen or even IMAX Jr (the majority of most IMAX's). What are these problems?
Clearly, the script, while serviceable, is very Spielbergian (he was originally supposed to direct this), which is shocking considering that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jonathan Nolan can write, even if he isn't anywhere near as close as Charlie Kaufman or PT Anderson standards. What is stopping Jonathan Nolan from creating a true sci-fi epic however?
The dialogue.
In a critical moment, we will either hear a "power of love" speech (which is actually what its about, its just done sloppily) or the hammiest dialogue that tries to be intellectual (ghosts, man).
The characterization.
The characters in Interstellar, except for McConaughey's Cooper, have no depth. Most of them stick out as one-dimensional characters, especially the confusing Anne Hathaway or even all the background characters who are, by definition, background characters. However, I was not expecting the twist at all with Michael Caine's character's plan.
All in all, everyone REALLY tries to make this the "2001: A Space Odyssey" of the 21st century, but at times it plays out like what could be a Hallmark remake of said sci-fi film, that has ultimately transcended all others of its genre. In saying this, its far from a 5-star movie. Its inconsistent at times, but its a beautiful ride overall.
If you do decide to see this, I would honestly recommend it on the biggest IMAX in a 6- hour radius showing this piece in 70mm, the visuals should comfort the viewer even on the most hammy scenes.
B+