Interstellar Review

Justin, Mike, and I saw Interstellar on November 9, 2014!! I can honestly say this is in my Top 5 movies of 2014. The others are: Guardians of the Galaxy, Divergent, X-Men; Days of Future Past, and Gone Girl. Christopher Nolan has created some of my favorite movies of all time. Inception is actually my second favorite movie ever, and I consider this to be one a true masterpiece of cinema.  This was a highly complex movie that really made me enjoy it even more. It tackles the mysteries of space & time as well as giving audiences a deep study into the core of humanity-emotions, what makes us who we are, why we do what we do, etc. The plot revolves around Earth becoming a planet that will not be able to sustain future generations within the next 25 years or so. The mission is to find a sustainable planet for future generations to survive. What evolves from this is one of the most intricate, intriguing, and impressive movies you'll ever find. It's truly a modern epic. We are explorers by nature. This movie shows us how we do that physically and emotionally. The cast is physically exploring the vastness of space, while at the same time the characters are exploring the unpredictable and intricate nature of their humanity. It's really a great parallel throughout.

This is one of the best ensemble casts a movie has assembled since Inception in my opinion. Matthew McConaughey was the perfect casting for the man that has to make the sacrifices not only for himself, but for the good of his family. He showed the deep flaws of man, as well as displaying what I've always said: Matthew McConaughey CAN act. I've been impressed with his work the last few years showing how good he is. I think this was his best work to date, even eclipsing Dallas Buyers Club. He really filled the role of what Cooper was all about. He deserves a nomination at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. He really had a great understanding of what this movie was about, and he showed it with his performance. It was also great seeing Anne Hathaway involved with such a huge project. Hathaway is by far one of my all time favorite actresses: She's gorgeous (with long or short hair), intelligent, and she knows how to act. I've been a fan since she was the Princess of Genovia. She did well in her role as somebody devoted to her father & the vast mission that they're embarking on. I think the cameo appearance by Matt Damon was excellent. He did really well displaying the effects of space dementia, as well as how much his humanity was affected as a result of being in space for an elongated period of time. It's great seeing that both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are involved with huge projects this year. These to me were the standouts of the principal cast.

I do want to devote a paragraph to the most important character in the movie: Murph. While Jessica Chastain was obviously excellent, I think Mackenzie Foy stole the show in her scenes. I like when younger actresses show potential, and she really did well laying the groundwork that would build into the epic journey we embark on as an audience. Her facial expressions and selling of the momentary decisions was perfect. Her bond with McConaughey was established early on and we'd see that evolve. Nobody quite knows the limitations of space travel, just like we don't know our own limitations. As I said, there are constant parallels and Nolan never keeps the two entities separate. You could see how both themes were intertwined at each stage of the movie.

The huge twist that tied so many things together had me going from enjoying this movie to absolutely loving it. I literally was sitting on the edge of my seat during the whole twist. I really liked the complexity of it and how both humanity, space, and time seemed to converge into one point. It was brilliant. The score is incredible. Sitting back just listening to this as I type makes me appreciate just how perfectly this accompanied the feature. The music crescendos at the perfect time, and every note is meaningful. Not only are you witnessing amazing acting performances, but you're witnessing an incredible story just exploding in front of you as this wave of sound hits you. While I knew there had to be a connection to certain events in the movie, the journey and initial moment were just so well done. I cannot wait to get this movie on DVD, and I intend to see this again in IMAX. I think it's worth it.

I'd highly recommend this for the brilliant performances, highly interesting & complex story involving space, time, and humanity, the beautiful score, and an all around great movie. As if you couldn't guess, this movie gets a 5/5. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did when I saw it. I love when a movie surprises me. It's so epic!!