I've never seen a movie in IMAX ever. Or 70mm film for that matter I'm sure. I've never found a movie worth the money and time to go to an IMAX theater. But for this movie, I braved the line. I knew that movies like Interstellar were a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a higher cinematic experience. PTA was right, this movie was worth every cent, every moment. Nolan worked me a violin. It was an otherworldly experience, the likes of which I had never felt.
There isn't a lot that you can say about the film that hasn't already been said. McConaughey acts the hell out of this movie as do Chastain, Hathaway, Bentley, Damon, Affleck etc. The acting was phenomenal and by the end of the movie I couldn't cry anymore because I had cried too much during Cooper's departure and viewing of video messages from his family.
The ambition was unbelievable, and seeing it in that gritty 70mm film and IMAX was brilliant. The wormholes, the flights, the new planets, TARS, it was sensational. My jaw was wide-open for about the first two hours of the film at the sheer massiveness of the scope and the visuals. It was awe-inspiring.
I didn't look the love theme being spoon fed to me by Brand and Cooper, as many others have pointed out Nolan's almost sophomoric tendency to go on long-winded monologues to get the themes across and of course, in a film as grand as this you might have to take the time to just explain things for others and keep the foundation of the film intact as it might get away from a filmmakers amidst these outstanding visuals and grand themes of a life in another galaxy. Still, kinda meh on it but didn't detract from the film. I also didn't like the occasional references to a higher being or race. They just kinda asked us to accept that there was a higher power or future race sending us a blackhole and stuff. Not an issue with suspension of disbelief, but rather something that could've been done without if they weren't gonna really deal with the concept of a futuristic race.
TARS was great. A great source of humor in a film that otherwise might be really dark and grim. Mann just made me think that even in a different galaxy, billions of light years away from earth, there are still *****ebags.
You really can't make a film in a vacuum, so any film in space is going to be influenced by the visuals and themes of Blade Runner, 2001, Alien and the like and Interstellar is no exception. That being said, it really was great in spite of those 2001 touches that made me scratch my head a bit.
Some of the early reviews made it seem like the film got away from Nolan a bit, but upon viewing it, I realized that this film is not one to be overly critiqued and scrutinized, but one to be felt. It is intimate, yet grandiose. Awe-inspiring, while never forgetting the awe and inspiration we can receive from a family member or fellow human being. It is a film that makes us realize that the fear of losing a loved one is equal to or greater than the void of space and fear of oblivion. Nolan took us onto a journey towards the furthest corners of human comprehension, and boy was it worth it. Not his best work, but a wholly worthwhile and fulfilling experience on its own.
