Interstellar – An Unforgettable Experience

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2015)

Unsurprisingly, there was an array of hype surrounding Nolan's latest film, in part due to his secretive methods of promotion, so it was always going to be difficult for Nolan to satisfy everyone. What he accomplished, however, was a masterpiece. Despite what some critics have said, Interstellar is one of the best films of the 21st century.
When I say this, however, I do not refer to Interstellar as being perfect. In fact, I would argue that a good proportion of the film is weak. The first act struggles with the pace with each scene feeling like it is ending prematurely or starting late. The whole section of the film on Mann's planet seemed unnecessarily generic (the reveal of a surprising actor definitely didn't help matters) and the amount of plot holes that critics have pointed out regarding the ending is huge. Still, the rest of the film, the moments that are brilliant, are near to perfect.
Of course, the excitement from Nolan fans helped drive the film's commercial success, and on the surface, this looks like another typical Nolan movie: realism, obsession, suspense, plot twists. Sure, it does contain many of these but by no means does it make it a simple copy of his earlier work. The difference with this sci-fi epic is it's ability to incorporate sentiment and emotion, not only from the characters themselves but also from the audience. Large parts of the film are incredibly moving, not hindered by the extreme soundtrack of Hans Zimmer, but it was the space endeavour, the sheer overwhelming atmosphere in which Cooper and co. found themselves in that made Interstellar special. Comparisons from this have been made with 2001, which watching Interstellar, it is clear to see why, but they are unnecessary. The visuals stand alone as the best I have ever seen on film, purely by having the ability to manipulate my emotions on point. When accompanied by the epic score and suspense driven plot, it makes for one hell of an experience.
Speaking subjectively, I have never felt this way before during a film, nor have I ever appreciated a film so much upon first viewing. Even months after my first, and only, viewing of Interstellar, I found myself possessing similar symptoms to that of binging on a new TV drama. Listening to the soundtrack over and over, buying Kip Thorne's brilliantly insightful book 'The Science of Interstellar'. These only drove my obsession with the film. The showing can only be described as an experience, simply because that's what it is: an experience into our universe through the help of spectacular film making.
So this, in my opinion, it is Nolan's truly definitive film, the one that will be remembered in years to come as his greatest and most powerful. Perhaps this view isn't shared by present day critics but views change and films are often finally appreciated years or even decades after their release. It's unfortunate that Interstellar has to wait for this though, as I am just as eager to see it praised as I was to see the actual film. Critics and viewers alike who have since slammed this film are misunderstood. I've seen a variety of statements as to why people didn't enjoy the film, ranging from the understandable to the downright idiotic. I think, due to Nolan's intensely serious take on cinema in the past decade, many people forget that Interstellar is a sci-fi film, not a documentary. The arguments that the ending was unrealistic and absurd (don't worry I won't spoil it) seem to come from the same close minded people who believe that everything they see in film should be factually correct. And still, even when presented with Kip Thorne's professional justification for much of the film's science, they refuse to believe it. Similarly, to those that simply didn't become encapsulated in the world of 'Endurance', I urge you to watch it again but allow yourselves to be warped and manipulated by Nolan. The 'soppy sentiment' has too become the target of unwarranted criticism. Imagine if back in 2006, events had gone to plan and it was Spielberg directing this masterpiece instead of Nolan. The viewers and critics alike would have become enthralled in his emotional manipulation, as it is what they are used to. The moment Nolan incorporates this, however, the cold, sinister director gets criticised. Still, I feel like this has become more a review of the criticism and not of the film itself, only due to my overriding passion for the epic film that is Interstellar.
When praising Nolan for this timeless piece, one can't overlook the other players involved in the film too. Casting, despite the decision for the mystery man (avoiding spoilers), was brilliant and the McConaissance is well and truly over, thanks to his spectacular performance as Cooper. The tactic that the Nolan brothers seem to have when it comes to writing worked wonders again (it would be interesting to know how much of the film was down to the lesser known brother, though). As always with Nolan films, Smith's and Zimmer's editing and score respectively provided an exceptional accompaniment to the plot but perhaps the most impressive was Van Hoytema's cinematography. A newcomer to the 'Nolan crew', the visuals and shots used were perfect, showing some of the talents he put to use in Let the Right One In (2008) and The Fighter (2010).
Put simply, then, Interstellar is an experience like no other, one that you won't forget.