Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Old Age Should Burn and Rage at Close of day. Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2014)

One of the biggest directors today is back for another original film. After spending about years doing his Batman films he wanted to go back to some different genres. While I must admit this is not Nolan's best work, it certainly is still a fabulous film overall. This film is intense. That is the best word to describe what Christopher Nolan has done with this film. The following is my review of Interstellar.
The film was written by Christopher Nolan(also director) and his brother Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan and his brother have worked together on most of Christopher's movie. While Christopher gets all the attention for the most part, Jonathan is one of the better writers out there today. I will not be spoiling the plot and will tread lightly on what I say about the plot because it is so important to see this film fresh. The Earth is falling apart and needs more resources. So, now comes the group of explorers who have to find a way to save us. Their mission is to go explore a warmhole and what it can do to save us. I really don't want to say much more as I already feel I said too much even though this is the basic description. The film is complex in nature, and many will have questions as they are leaving the theater. Repeating viewings at some point will be needed to fully understand. This gets everyone in the theater to think, which is what the Nolans want us to do. The story is deep in nature and asks important questions. With some good twists and turns in the film it is sure to leave most of us satisfied. The film does have faults. With a run time of nearly three hours, the film can drag in spots. It never hurts the film badly, but at one point in the film, I asked myself whether or not they needed to explain so much and thus dragging the film too long. The point of the film I'm speaking of is the ending. Overall, the Nolan Brothers deliver one heck of a Sci-Fi film that will leave us with many questions, but it also leaves us with more respect for what is next in space travel and the process that goes into it.
Christopher Nolan directed this film as well. Nolan is use to delivering huge films that make the viewer fall into it. His films are always visually stunning and the same can easily be said here. Nolan takes a more practical approach to filming his movies instead of overusing CG, however in a film like this, much more CG is needed. Though it doesn't feel the CG was overused. His love for IMAX is another key aspect. Nolan has been directing films with the IMAX camera for many years now, and this might have the most IMAX footage with more than a hour of IMAX footage. These IMAX scenes are truly something to behold and you easily get lost in them. The visuals and his work behind the screen are fabulous, but acting is also a key factor and Nolan usually gets amazing work from his actors. Matthew McConaughey leads the film which also stars Anne Hathaway. There are some very emotional scenes in this film and McConaughey and the rest of the fabulous cast delivers those scenes amazingly. The entire cast works under Nolan's wing to their highest regard. This may in fact be the most well acted Nolan film yet, which is saying a great deal. With fabulous directing with many killer shots, and the outstanding acting, Nolan delivers another great effort on this film.
The film was scored by a Christopher Nolan regular, Hans Zimmer. Zimmer is easily one of the best composers out there today. His scores are bombastic and add a great deal of much needed depth. The same can easily be said here. After listening to so many of Zimmer's scores, you often wonder if he will make a bad score that disappoints. I was somewhat worried about this aspect going into the film, but after leaving the film I walked away thinking his score was another masterpiece. In the more intense scenes the film offers, Zimmer's score transcends what anyone could have thought he was capable of. Those who love a great score like I do should leave the theater wanting to listen to it all one again. This is easily one of the best scores of 2014, and another fantastic addition to the career of Hans Zimmer.
In closing, the film is not the best Christopher Nolan film. While I personally believe all of Nolan's movies are at least very good, this film falls somewhere in the Insomnia range. Not pure greatness, but certainly not bad or even average. Fans who want an immersive experience with the stunning IMAX shots and a good story, this is a must see for you. While there are some down spots in the film, they never bog the film down enough to truly hurt it to a point where it makes a film barely above average. This film is truly a must see, with so many aspects to enjoy.
I went to an IMAX showing of this film, so I will talk about that as well. When Christopher Nolan directs a film, more recently it tends to be all out on the IMAX. Nolan is one of the few directors who actually enjoys shooting with the IMAX camera. The best way to watch this film is on an IMAX screen. Digital IMAX is what most locations have(and the one I watched this film on), and while it's not the same as a real IMAX screen, the depth it adds in not only picture quality, but sound is untouchable by versions below it. The extra price for IMAX can be a good bit more, but it is well worth the extra price, that is for sure.
8/10