Interstellar - Part 9

[titansupes]

^ Seven pages according to the above article.

 

[Dragon_316ca]

Full comic is now up online: http://www.wired.com/2014/11/absolute-zero/

 

[Gee]

From Antovolk on NF.C - Hans just posted this:

http://hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1256

Great, but in what quality will it be released? I don't want any of that iTunes crap.

Full comic is now up online: http://www.wired.com/2014/11/absolute-zero/

Sean Murphy's art?

 

[Dr.]

Couldn't disagree more with his analysis. Just because the film presents one character who acts out of selfishness and weakness doesn't mean the film is trying to present a dim view of humanity. By that logic, any movie with an antagonist who acts that way could be said to be purporting the same message.

On the contrary, this is a deeply humanistic and optimistic film. Acknowledging the existence of the bad side of humanity does not negate the good side. He's right that Nolan's earlier movies have had more of a cynical outlook, but I think this trend has been very clearly reversing itself with his last few movies.

I agree that Interstellar is probably one of Nolan’s more positive and uplifting films. But I reject the notion that this effort necessarily marks an “improvement” or “maturity” in his body of work - as if to say that “feel good” movies are the gold standard and Nolan is finally getting the knack.

Now, I’m not against fun, optimism and escapism. However, a cinematic menu that consists only of these things would get fairly tedious fairly quickly. Vive la différence. So I’d be happy for Nolan to more-or-less keep on doing what he’s been doing - melding mainstream and “popular” entertainment with thoughtful themes and commentary (even if that commentary is occasionally pessimistic or even cynical). And if one is in the mood for something lighter and more escapist, there’s no shortage of movies that will satisfy that craving. Again: vive la différence.

 

[terry78]

Bleak and cynical has always been viewed as more "cool" in entertainment. Music, video games, movies, tv, books...those are the ones viewed as more edgy and more prone to acclaim.

 

[Schlosser85]

A movie isn't a better or worse movie based solely on whether it's dark or feel-good.

 

[BatLobster]

I agree that Interstellar is probably one of Nolan’s more positive and uplifting films. But I reject the notion that this effort necessarily marks an “improvement” or “maturity” in his body of work - as if to say that “feel good” movies are the gold standard and Nolan is finally getting the knack.

Now, I’m not against fun, optimism and escapism. However, a cinematic menu that consists only of these things would get fairly tedious fairly quickly. Vive la différence. So I’d be happy for Nolan to more-or-less keep on doing what he’s been doing - melding mainstream and “popular” entertainment with thoughtful themes and commentary (even if that commentary is occasionally pessimistic or even cynical). And if one is in the mood for something lighter and more escapist, there’s no shortage of movies that will satisfy that craving. Again: vive la différence.

Oh I agree. I love Nolan's earlier work too. I do think becoming a father has impacted his worldview and work, and I think that's natural. Also keeps his work feeling personal.

I think even the level of positivity that's seeping into his work is still tempered with some sobering truths too. Which means that the movies are optimistic without being pure escapism (they can be that though if you want).

 

[redhawk23]

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/metaphysics-of-interstellar

I don't know if this has been posted. Interview with Chris Nolan and Kip Thorne about working together on the film. Good stuff. Very interesting bits about some arguments the two had.

It also has a lot of good discussion of how Nolan approached presenting the 5th dimension. What is so valuable about interviews like this, particularly this extensive is that Nolan will pretty much never do an actual commentary on the film.

 

[Silliminite]

The best part of Interstellar for me were the performances of McConaughey and Foy.
Another good thing to come from the movie was that it was worth discussing afterwards. Infact, my friends and I spent at least half an hour discussing various aspects of the film.

Those were the positives.

Overall, I was left disappointed. Didn't like the third act, but the first half of the movie was good albeit a bit slow.

In conclusion, a good movie which could've been great if the third act was better written and displayed.

 

[redhawk23]

One thing that Nolan/Thorne interview really lays out is the source of some of the movie's problems. With so much focus on bending the storytelling to fit established scientific rules, there was a lot less focus on the actual characters. I thought Cooper and Murphy were pretty well established and written but anyone else? Not so much.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Best part of the interview, haha. t:

WIRED: Chris, where did Kip have to rein you in?
NOLAN: There was one thing. I was determined to have a character travel faster than the speed of light.
WIRED: Uh-oh.
NOLAN: I wanted to break the light barrier, as I called it. And Kip wasn’t having any of that. That went on for a couple of weeks.

THORNE: I gave him a document where I laid out the reasons it couldn’t work. We had a couple of conversations, and he backed down.

NOLAN: We had more than a couple of conversations. What he’s not telling you is, I finally managed to get my head around relativity. I don’t mean a full understanding of it. I mean a glimpse of a feeling, you know? Like when you’re trying to play an instrument and you happen to hit the right chord? So I said, “You know what? I agree. Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.” And he goes, “Yeah, well, in localized regions it can’t,” or something. And I’m like, wait a second! Every rabbit hole has another rabbit hole at the bottom of it, and another rabbit hole.

WIRED: He incepted you with relativity.
NOLAN: Oh, very much. I lost it pretty rapidly afterward.

 

[redhawk23]

I also enjoyed the description of Nolan getting his point across about how time could work in the 5th dimension.

 

[kvz5]

I don't want to complain because I love Casey Affleck and any additional time spent on him is good but am I the only one who thought that

Spoiler

the whole subplot about him and his family was uneccessary? It just seems like just a means to get Murph back at the house. His character is quite tragic. Must be hard growing up with the "chosen one" and then ending up being a sort of "villain" in the end. And this is the son who was diligently sending messages to his father (when his father probably just cares more about seeing a message from Murph ). The movie won't suffer at all if they just made Murph an only child.

Is it safe to not put spoiler tags anymore...?

 

[redfirebird2008]

I don't want to complain because I love Casey Affleck and any additional time spent on him is good but am I the only one who thought that

Spoiler

the whole subplot about him and his family was uneccessary? It just seems like just a means to get Murph back at the house. His character is quite tragic. Must be hard growing up with the "chosen one" and then ending up being a sort of "villain" in the end. And this is the son who was diligently sending messages to his father (when his father probably just cares more about seeing a message from Murph ). The movie wouldn't suffer if Murph ended up just being an only child.

Is it safe to not put spoiler tags...?

I don't know about that.

Spoiler

The scene where he shows Cooper the baby is probably the most emotional scene of the film. That's the moment where it really hits home that Cooper's life is passing him by.

 

[BatLobster]

I am absolutely convinced that the character that Nolan wanted to break the "light barrier" was Cooper, at the very end in the new ship.

 

[kvz5]

I don't know about that.

Spoiler

The scene where he shows Cooper the baby is probably the most emotional scene of the film. That's the moment where it really hits home that Cooper's life is passing him by.

True but

Spoiler

they could've acheived the same goal with just a slight tweaking on Murph. The whole deal with him and his family at the end was just uneccessary baggage to me. if they wanted to insist on his character, I feel like they could've given him at least a much better resolution/arc. I jsut feel bad for the guy...

 

[antsman41]

When does the Nolan 'Wired' hit shelves?

 

[redfirebird2008]

When does the Nolan 'Wired' hit shelves?

Wondering the same thing. Would like to buy it at Barnes & Noble if possible.

 

[redfirebird2008]

This would have been crazy but awesome:

Spoiler

WIRED: Chris, did you ever think, “Holy crap, I have a plot that involves both a wormhole and a black hole, and it’s really going to confuse people?”

NOLAN: No, I had a moment with Jonah’s draft where I went, “Holy crap, I’ve got six wormholes and five black holes.” I was like, guys, this is way too confusing. Kip had brilliant ideas using multiple black holes, but I just said, “No, we can do one black hole and we can do one wormhole, and that’s pushing it.”

 

[redhawk23]

Yeah that breakdown from slashfilm of the differences between Jonah and Chris's scripts mentions that the original script had all kinds of blackholes of various sizes.

 

[Dr.]

One thing that Nolan/Thorne interview really lays out is the source of some of the movie's problems. With so much focus on bending the storytelling to fit established scientific rules, there was a lot less focus on the actual characters.

I wouldn’t say that focus on characters and obeying “internal rules” are mutually exclusive. For instance: in a conventional genre, it might prove convenient if a car could fly (so as to get the hero from A to B much quicker ). But cars can’t fly; so the author simply adheres to the “rules” and writes a different solution - without necessarily sacrificing the drama. Likewise, the constraints of realistic sci-fi don’t have to limit anything else about the story.

 

[DarthMuppet]

I am absolutely convinced that the character that Nolan wanted to break the "light barrier" was Cooper, at the very end in the new ship.

Which is probably why Chris ended up feeling it was necessary to change the story so that

Spoiler

the wormhole is still open at the end.

 

[Apollo]

RT audience score is useless.

why?

 

[BatLobster]

Which is probably why Chris ended up feeling it was necessary to change the story so that

Spoiler

the wormhole is still open at the end.

I'm thinking it's why things are left pretty vague at the end.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I thought Jonah Nolan said the wormhole was closed when Cooper reemerged near Saturn?