Interstellar - Part 5

[BatLobster]

I don't wanna de-rail the thread too much with a TDKR debate Deserana, but that's essentially saying the same thing as 'the movie should've been longer'. Personally I wasn't too jarred by the jump forward though, I mean the revolution montage already jumped forward and showed us what what "Bane's Gotham" was going to look like, so the movie already had one foot in that timespace after the montage.

I don't fault you for wanting a longer movie though, when something is so thematically rich it does warrant it. It's the reason people complain about movies like the Transformers sequels and The Hobbit films needing to have the fat trimmed, while wanting TDKR (with a comparable runtime) to be longer or split into two films.

Btw, rumor has it that Interstellar is nearly 3 hours.

 

[Deserana]

I guess so. There were a few big issues I have with TDKR but it doesn't stopping me enjoying the film immensely. I wanted the film to be longer (which isnt the same as should) as like you said it was so rich. There were so many things to delve into that I could genuinely see a reason to make it 2 films rather than a money grab.

Just cutting 5 months isn't an issue for me. I love grand stories that span years. Fincher's Zodiac, for example, I adore and that cuts years like every 4 or 5 scenes toward the end. So I guess the cutting 5 months issue for me but the fact that it was how Nolan approached it in the story in the first point that irked me. I was expecting it to be more TDK in that it explored it's intricate story whereas TDKR was the huge scale film with a story with Wayne.

Interstellar though Im expecting year gaps in one cut. I know it's working with that kind of scientific approach (big spoilers potentially below)

Spoiler

Like the whole plot with MM's character ageing normally but his kid is getting older and older and turning into Jessica Chastain. Again not sure if this is true.

 

[Anita18]

I think Interstellar will be interesting in that it's small emotional story told on the most epic scale possible. TDKR I think got away from him because it was an epic story told on an epic scale, whereas I think Nolan's inclination for quickly moving from one scene to the next lends itself to smaller stories. (It worked for me in BB, but others may disagree, which is fine.)

When you have an epic story with a ton of characters you're supposed to care about, you want to take a breather and spend some time on each scene, but Nolan doesn't do that. His stories have a lot of momentum and don't have the room to dawdle.

It's like, in Inception the "scope" was big, but skimming over the other characters was fine because the story only emotionally cared about Cobb. A lot of crazy stuff happened in TDK, but compared to TDKR it was small potatoes scale-wise. The story revolved around Batman and Gordon stopping the Joker. That's all. It just felt big because he told it big. Whereas in TDKR, there were a lot of things going on with "side" characters that eventually became part of the main story, and he just didn't spend enough time with them.

 

[CrypticOne]

That is one thing I find interesting. I think Nolan wants to tell these small emotional stories involving one character. But he has to tell it on these epic stages and in some way those stages take away from the emotion. Inception and TDKR were just so massive that the emotion was kinda left to drain. I didn't feel the impact in those stories because of everything that was happening.

That's what kinda has me worried here. We're dealing with space jumping. All the science could lose the audience. I feel like this is gonna be a film you'll have to see over a couple times to fully get everything that Nolan throws in there.

 

[BatLobster]

I suppose for me TDKR was just the grand scale epic done Nolan-style, so although those two styles maybe aren't the most intuitive match, I really enjoyed going for that ride, because I felt the trilogy needed an ending that both felt huger and more explosive, while also still feeling stylistically aligned with the previous movies. Though I do think the movie slowed down where it needed to most (Bruce in the pit).

I do wonder if Nolan may finally shake off the "cold" rep with this movie, if it's as emotional as the trailers and early reactions suggest. I thought TDKR and it's warm send-off to the characters in particular was a step in that more emotionally-driven direction for Nolan.

 

[Travesty]

Epic

 

[Anita18]

That is one thing I find interesting. I think Nolan wants to tell these small emotional stories involving one character. But he has to tell it on these epic stages and in some way those stages take away from the emotion. Inception and TDKR were just so massive that the emotion was kinda left to drain. I didn't feel the impact in those stories because of everything that was happening.

That's what kinda has me worried here. We're dealing with space jumping. All the science could lose the audience. I feel like this is gonna be a film you'll have to see over a couple times to fully get everything that Nolan throws in there.

That pretty much describes Inception, though. And those with experience with relativity will already know most of the stuff in Interstellar anyway, which is one up on Inception's made up dream concepts.

I feel that most of the emotional stuff in Inception flew over people's heads, honestly. I feel like I'm the only damn person who understands it and loves it for its actual emotional story.

But if people think it's good for whatever reason and it makes money, it's all good, right?

 

[Deserana]

The story with Cobb worked for me. It was essentially about Cobb and how he ***** up his life so bad he questions his own reality. Could even be said it's a film about Cobb's addiction. Nolan just made a badass sci fi action film out of it.

 

[BatLobster]

I think Inception at once told that personal story of a man trying to move on with his life, but it's also a film in the spirit of The Matrix, Dark City, etc. that examines the nature of reality. Then there's of course the meta-aspect of it being an analogy to the filmmaking process (even though that was supposedly unintentional, I feel it's there subconsciously).

Only fitting for a movie like Inception to have a few 'levels' to it, heh.

 

[Deserana]

I think where Interstellar differs to TDKR for emotional stakes is that in Interstellar you're essentially dealing with characters in one location.

Look at TDKR you have a story with Wayne that includes all the characters in the film and takes place in Gotham and another country. You have a Bane story that deals with Miranda a little in Gotham. A Gordon story that involves his police force including Foley and Blake who in turn has a side story involving his orphanage. And you have a Selina story going too. It's a vast story (that I think just looking at that deserves a 3+ hour movie) that spans across Gotham and another country.

Now Interstellar whilst takes place in the huge vastness of outer space is featuring characters all on this one spacecraft where it's protagonist will always be. And you have a story on Earth that looks to feature only 2 characters that ties in directly with the main story and main character. It's much easier to hold an emotional core that way rather than going between multiple characters that dont connect to eachothers stories that spans a vast location.

 

[titansupes]

Very nice indeed.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Hoth!
​

 

[AnneFan]

Btw, rumor has it that Interstellar is nearly 3 hours.

Best news I've heard in a while.

 

[titansupes]

I thought there was some limitation on what IMAX could afford re runtimes, and TDKR was right on the limit (and hence part of the reason it was cut so aggressively)? I remember reading that in 2012. Either that was false, or they found a way around it (there was a story a few days ago that said Nolan was working with IMAX on developing new technology).

 

[kvz5]

This doesn't need to be close to 3 hours long IMO. That would mean bloating the hell out of that script. I think it's possible though considering that someone's role [blackout]Chastain's[/blackout] seem to have been expanded.

 

[titansupes]

^ I'm neither for nor against a three hour runtime, depends on the movies needs at the end of the day. On the script, though, you're talking about a draft from 2006 (or '08, I forget). Nolan has since rewritten it to include "his own, original ideas" which may well bring it more in line with a three hour runtime.

 

[kvz5]

^ I'm neither for nor against a three hour runtime, depends on the movies needs at the end of the day. On the script, though, you're talking about a draft from 2006 (or '08, I forget). Nolan has since rewritten it to include "his own, original ideas" which may well bring it more in line with a three hour runtime.

Yup. I was talking about the Jonah Nolan draft and yeah I edited my post to add that I can see it being possible given what we know now.

 

[BatLobster]

I thought there was some limitation on what IMAX could afford re runtimes, and TDKR was right on the limit (and hence part of the reason it was cut so aggressively)? I remember reading that in 2012. Either that was false, or they found a way around it (there was a story a few days ago that said Nolan was working with IMAX on developing new technology).

That's a good point. I see several possibilities. There is either new technology, like you said, or whoever reported "nearly 3 hours" actually just meant that it's another 2:45 runtime. Or maybe the rumor is just false.

I have to admit though, it seems kind of unlikely that IMAX would be developing a new projector, especially when their mandate right now seems to be replacing all the film projectors with digital projectors (minus a few select theaters).

Maybe Nolan had to suck it up and allow the final reel to be projected digitally.

 

[Naked Shia]

I don't think it's a trestch to say Nolen's movies are exposition heavy. That said, unlike most, I don't think he's a cold director. I was heavily engaged in TDKR, because it's really the sum of its parts (you already know those characters, and you care for them), but it's also its own thing, and the emotion is genuinely striking, even as a stand alone movie.

We already know he can tell epic stories, and we already know he can use scifi in an interesting way. Interstellar has to be the one movie, though, where he shows that the scope is no obstacle to the intimate story.

In that regard, using someone like Mcgonugget, who has been known for his romcom for years, and who is born again as an actor lately, with movies as mud and shows a true detective, is a great decision. This is another chapter for Nolan as a director.

I have to warn you though, don't expect to much from Ann halthaway.

 

[titansupes]

Matthew McConaughey: “People'll say, ‘Oh, there must’ve been SO much greenscreen.' There wasn’t ANY greenscreen.” #Sep25 #EmpireInterstellar

http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/

Follow the link to see a mini-preview/overview of what to expect from the issue.

 

[AnneFan]

I have to warn you though, don't expect to much from Ann halthaway.

 

[titansupes]

Christopher Nolan -

"It’s a very classically constructed movie, but the freshness of the narrative elements really enhance it. I liken it to the blockbusters I grew up with as a kid, family films in the best sense: edgy, incisive, challenging."

 

[Kansiov]

Personally after TDKR, my main concern for this movie would be the potential jumps between Earth and the Space-faring elements; it could very well reminiscent the jumps between the cell and Gotham, which in my view was too drawn out and unnecessary. Frankly I see no reason why there's a need for the story to be told from the daughter's perspective.

 

[BatLobster]

It wouldn't be the first space movie to deal with dual plotlines occuring in space and on Earth. Apollo 13 managed to include the "family back home" aspect with great results...this will just span more Earth time due to time dilation, which frankly is one of the most exciting aspects of the story to me from what I can glean from it so far.

In fact because it will probably go to extremes with time dilation, keeping track of how much time has passed on Earth will probably be crucial in the narrative.

 

[Micromind]

I expect time jumps, space jumps, flash backs, more than one ending, everything in this movie !