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Author Topic: Interstellar  (Read 13606 times)

Bondo

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2014, 03:27:29 PM »
So...Sunshine was a really amazing movie, huh?

I'm not sure Interstellar ever sold me on being a great movie, but starting when Cooper entered the black hole, it was just really painful. Assuming we got to that point, I'd have cut to Brand getting to the third planet and then having ships from Earth arrive. Same basic outcome, way less stupid. The whole metaphysical "them" was straining, but perhaps tolerable, but it was made that much more strained when it was explained at length.

The Damon twist was very Sunshine third act, but not nearly as well handled, and I'm not convinced by the need for it at all really. Feels like a contrivance.

The best moments are when the film is weighing species/society at large against family. There are really important political implications about this. And Mann introducing survival instinct as part of this was interesting. But I just think the film got too far away from this point.

Not sure where I'll end up on this film in terms of a rating...even the "impressive" visual aspect feels like such a step down from Gravity. For now I'm thinking maybe B-.

Junior

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2014, 06:55:51 PM »
I was in it to win it up until the second planet, and the scene where Matt Damon (what!) went all evil (double what!). I do think it was a good piece of casting because he's so likable usually that you don't really see the turn coming, but his motivations were all wonky for me and even though he spent like 5 minutes explaining them I was still left with only a vague notion of what his plans were and why he was doing what he was doing. It recovered after that and I thought the forever-library scene was pretty good outside the constant explanation of what was happening which dragged the scene down a good bit. McCon was really good and both versions of the daughter were outstanding. I teared up for the first time in a Nolan movie at the goodbye scene and its incredible transition into the liftoff. The movie was too long and too explain-y, but at least there was some identifiable human emotion in it and it looked real pretty. Also, super cool robots.
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The Deer Hunter

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2014, 07:10:13 PM »
So Matt Damon's plan was to keep transmitting so NASA thinks his planet is the right one so they'll come check it out and he'll be able to come back?

Bondo

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2014, 07:24:40 PM »
I get "I lied about the data so they'd come for me." That is a perfectly logical survival instinct sin. I don't get "I'm going to kill all of you and hijack the ship and go...somewhere." What, just get home because he was that desperate for being around people...but specifically not the three people who were there?

Junior, on a scale of 1-10, how happy are you for all the Sunshine appreciation resulting from this film?

Junior

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2014, 07:56:31 PM »
11. I was talking to my friend and I brought up how the space-station-in-front-of-celestial-body shots were cool but not quite as cool as those in Sunshine. I don't really think the Matt Damon twist was like Pinnbacker too much, but I get the comparison.

Also, I couldn't get this out of my head every time Alfred quoted that poem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoLywiaM6PA
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ˇKeith!

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #15 on: November 08, 2014, 10:51:00 PM »
« Last Edit: November 08, 2014, 10:55:06 PM by ˇKeith! »

Junior

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2014, 11:20:05 PM »
Yarp. I knew I had seen that somewhere else before. It's a pretty common explanation for a complicated action, so I don't hate Nolan for it. Maybe a bit of variation could have been nice.
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Alan Smithee

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2014, 04:14:27 PM »
11. I was talking to my friend and I brought up how the space-station-in-front-of-celestial-body shots were cool but not quite as cool as those in Sunshine. I don't really think the Matt Damon twist was like Pinnbacker too much, but I get the comparison.

Also, I couldn't get this out of my head every time Alfred quoted that poem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoLywiaM6PA

I hope Dylan Thomas got a writing credit, it felt like they quoted that poem every thirty minutes.

Harpo Speaks

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #18 on: November 09, 2014, 04:22:20 PM »
'We are not prepared for this' - deliberate reference to Inception where the same line is used or just a coincidence?

I enjoyed it in parts, but I really felt it was shaping up to be something fantastic - then it stumbled, right around the time that Damon made his appearance. Miscast in my opinion.

Way too much over-explanation as the film drew to a close as well, dialogue spelling out things that we can literally see on screen, or at least may pick up upon on rewatching the film.

McConaughey was great though, he really sold the emotional scenes. Some gorgeous visuals at times too. But too long and unrestrained, and it's to the film's detriment.

Junior

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Re: Interstellar
« Reply #19 on: November 09, 2014, 07:45:24 PM »
My full review. Not spoilery, but here it is.

If I were to write this review in a way that mimicked the film, it'd start with a really strong and emotional paragraph, followed by one which is interesting, and then everything would slow way down so that I could explain in great detail how the power of love acts like a real scientifically based force. And then there'd be a dumb paragraph that also explains things but doesn't actually make any sense, and then there'd be a thrilling paragraph, another explainy one (this one mostly out of breath) and then crazy things would happen, in the middle of which would be a bunch of unnecessary explanation, and then the review would be over. Do you get it? I'm saying Christopher Nolan, perhaps from some fear that not explaining something would lead the internet to cry out "Plot holes," explains way too much throughout the majority of Interstellar.

And the thing of it is that the plot of Interstellar, the mechanics of it, aren't difficult to understand. Nolan isn't introducing anything new to the storytelling vernacular, as one could argue he was doing in Inception. No, here it's kind of a straightforward space exploration movie. There's time dilation to contend with, sure, but it's not like that's the hardest thing to understand. So instead of giving us needed clarity on difficult topics, the explanation only serves to make what might have been a wondrous experience ponderous and the opposite of awe-inspiring. It explains away the awe.

Which is really too bad, because the rest of the film is really good. Nolan finally has a human touch, and I even got a little teary-eyed when Matthew McConaughey said goodbye to his young daughter. It's a terrific scene which displays and indulges in actual human emotions and transitions beautifully into the launch sequence. From there, much of the space travel stuff works, including a really cool planet with giant waves. The visuals are impressive, although they don't hold thematic relevance like similar shots of space stations in front of giant celestial bodies did in Sunshine. While some character motivations get a bit muddled in the middle, McConaughey's presence provides a steady and emotional throughline that anchors the film in reality while the rest of it spins off into the outer reaches of space and time. In all, there's great promise here that doesn't quite deliver due to the writers' and director's fear that we wouldn't follow them. Trust in your audience, Nolan, and we'll buy whatever you'd like to sell.

8/10.
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