Recollection Reflection Review: 'Interstellar'

This review was originally supposed to be published the week Dunkirk was released, but it just got delayed and delayed and delayed due to extenuating circumstances... However, we can just pretend I'm publishing it now to coincide with Dunkirk's home media release and the upcoming Ultra HD 4K editions of Nolan's films next week. In other news, I'm all caught up with my draft reviews of more current releases (which I'll soon finally be able to share with you) and I'm currently overcoming an illness, so it seemed like the optimal time to finally work on this review.

'Interstellar' Review

Nominated for: Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Won: Best Visual Effects.

Recollection- 'Interstellar' Review

Reflection- I can recall seeing Interstellar in IMAX three years back and being blown away by Nolan's mastery of storytelling, both visually and narratively. I'd consider my older review of the film more simple in detailing my thoughts when compared to my more recent reviews, but that's exactly why I started doing these Triple-R Reviews! Anyways, since that review I've discovered more and more to love about Interstellar every time I watch it, so I suspect this review will come across as much more enthusiastic!

Review- Interstellar launches audiences into a future where Earth is experiencing a global crop blight and a second Dust Bowl that are rendering the planet to be uninhabitable. When mysterious forces lead former NASA pilot Cooper to the secluded remnants of NASA, physicist Professor Brand informs Cooper there may be a way to save mankind. Ten years prior, NASA sent twelve landing pods to twelve potentially habitable worlds through a wormhole on a series of missions known as the Lazarus missions. Of the twelve sent, three promising worlds were discovered in one system. Cooper then joins the crew of the Endurance to travel through the wormhole to that system and identify which of those three planets would be optimal for human colonization.

Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan, who also cowrote the film's screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan. Interstellar was Nolan's ninth feature length film and his first project following the completion of the Dark Knight Trilogy, but Nolan's auteur fingerprints can still be found all over Interstellar. The film is just as emotionally and intellectually charged as the best of Nolan's work and even features one of his trademark ambiguous endings.

Interstellar's defining characteristic is its determination to tell a personal story on a universal scale. Nolan wisely waits to widen the scope of the character's circumstances till aptly investing audiences in the focal father/daughter relationship between Cooper and Murph. Only then, does Nolan up the ante. Cooper is presented with a monumental decision to choose between abandoning his kids in hopes of saving the human race and staying on Earth to raise his children at the risk of humanity's survival. Objectively, it'd be easy to pronounce a decision. However, in actuality, the alternatives bear fare more weight. By firmly establishing a steadfast bond between Cooper and Murph, the stakes have astronomically risen and audiences understand Cooper's trepidation as he journeys out into the great unknown. From that point onward, Interstellar's anecdotes revolve around perseverance in the face of the most improbable odds, proving that love is the only thing that truly capable of transcending time and space.

Technically, Interstellar is masterfully made in every way, shape, and form imaginable. The visual effects are not only awe-inspiring to look at, they also bestow an authenticity to the incredible and extensive fabric of space. In fact, I can't think of a single frame that looked as though it were captured inside a sound stage against a green screen background. In other departments, the film features stunning cinematography, intense editing, phenomenal production design, stirring sound editing and sound mixing, and another sensational score from Hans Zimmer. I'd daresay it's one of his best film scores to date because each composition not only suits the subsequent scenes, but also stands as an epic piece of music on its own merit. In fact, I often listen to themes from his Interstellar soundtrack because it can be soothing or simply provides a grandiose sound that's difficult to find elsewhere. 

Sure, the sequence inside the tesseract can be a bit of a head-scratcher on first viewing, but I've found it to make much more sense on subsequent rewatches. The sequence really serves as the lynch pin of the entire film, tying everything together remarkably well thematically and narratively. 

As for the cast, Matthew McConaughey turns in one of his most emotionally vulnerable performances yet as Cooper. McConaughey sells Cooper's warmth and trauma equally well with many of his scenes packing an emotional wallop. The sequence where he leaves his family is notably heart-wrenching, as well as one onboard the Endurance when he's watching video messages from his grown children. If neither of those bring you to tears, then you're simply not human. Mackenzie Foy and Timothée Chalamet also deserve some recognition for playing the younger versions of his two children, Murph and Tom. Foy, in particular, shows a lot of promise as an captivating child actor considering she's never overshadowed by McConaughey's larger-than-life screen presence in their scenes together. 

Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck lend themselves to playing the adult versions of Murph and Tom, and both are quite good, but Chastain takes the cake. Chastain expertly builds upon everything established by Foy and McConaughey to ensure the mature Murph is resolute, intelligent, and headstrong, but believably so. 

As for the crew of the Endurance, Anne Hathaway convincingly captures Brand's intellect and empathy while David Gyasi discerns Romilly with more cerebral sense.

Rounding out the Nolan regulars, Michael Caine offers a solemn, serene performance as Professor Brand with one scene in particular that really shows his acting talent beyond playing a sophisticated British man.  

Last but certainly not least, I must credit Bill Irwin for voicing and operating the hydraulics for the snarky tactical robot, TARS. I think the design of the robot is unique and impressive on its own, but I've found myself gravitating towards the robot every time I watch Interstellar thanks to Irwin's precise line delivery.

Perhaps, three years ago I would have told you that I merely enjoyed Interstellar for Nolan's astonishing craftsmanship and superb storytelling, but it's only now that I realize Interstellar is an film that will endure the test of time for its impeccable example of the resilience of the human spirit. It's emotional. It's intelligent. It's insightful. It's exceptional.

Film Assessment: A+

'Dunkirk' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Christopher Nolan, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Won: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

The year is 1940 and Allied forces fighting in World War II have been driven back to the beaches of Dunkirk. The Germans have the British and French soldiers surrounded and the only hope of survival is an impossible escape. That's the dire circumstances our heroes find themselves in at the start of Dunkirk. Dunkirk then depicts the attempted evacuation of over 300,000 men by land, sea, and air.

Dunkirk is written and directed by auteur filmmaker Christopher Nolan, a man whose work's powerful enough to speak for itself. You're probably familiar with Nolan's other highly regarded films such as Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, but you may not know that Nolan has yet to be nominated in the category of "Best Director" at the annual Academy Awards, or even win an Oscar for that matter (although he's received nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay and his films have faired well in the technical categories with a number of wins). 

Well, that's all about to change because there's absolutely no way the Academy would dare snub his work displayed in Dunkirk. While we still have a ways to go in regards to awards season, and it's a little early to speculate, I have yet to see any formidable competition arise. Dunkirk marks Nolan's first foray into the war genre and his experience with a big budget and practical effects carried over quite nicely. Nolan is accustomed putting his own spin on all his productions, and Dunkirk is no exception because Dunkirk is unlike any war film I've ever seen.

In Dunkirk, emphasis is placed on the event rather than the characters. You don't get the opportunity to know these heroes because Nolan thrusts the audience straight into the ensuing chaos. Dunkirk represents a glimpse of the events "in-the-moment" and I must say, I was enraptured from the get-go. There's no time to sit around the fire and talk about what's waiting back home because this is a struggle-for-survival. Time is of the essence for these soldiers and nothing communicates that better than a ticking timepiece, which Hans Zimmer impressively embedded into his swirling, epic score. Nolan then ensures that everything ranging from shot composition-to-an actor's expression conveys a sense of urgency to match Zimmer's harmonic pulses and it all culminates in a heart-pounding pressure cooker.

Dunkirk is probably the most expensive and authentic recreation of said-evacuation that divides its focus among three interwoven chapters, despite the fact each takes place at a different point in time;

1. The Mole, One Week.

2. The Sea, One Day.    

3. The Air, One Hour.    

Eventually, all of these ongoing events overlap and there are certainly some interesting intersections which your eyes will be more attuned to after an initial viewing. You'll find yourself thinking "Haven't I seen that already?" upon realizing the chapter title cards signified the location and duration of each chapter. On that note, it's worth mention that the dictionary defines a mole as a large solid structure on a shore serving as a pier, breakwater, or causeway (but there's also an underlying double-meaning that you should be able to wrap your mind around if you pay enough attention).

Occasionally the same events are shown a second or third time from one of the other primary perspectives and in an ordinary war-film that might wear the viewer down. However, this is Nolan we're talking about, and only a director with Nolan's skill and attention to detail is capable of captivating audiences with an intense inter-weaving of three different accounts. Even though Nolan is depicting the same event three times from a different perspective, he manages to integrate an overwhelming intensity that carries over nicely when he transitions among the tri-arched chronology. 

The performances across the board are certainly good, but are admittedly handicapped by Nolan's narrative. Nolan extrapolates some exceptional acting from his cast but I'll be honest in saying I had a hard time pinpointing particular stand-outs. The acting is largely reactionary and while the actors' work is commendable, no single performer blew me away. Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, and Harry Styles showcased a surprising amount of range as the soldiers headlining the mole chapter, but none of them aren't offered enough character exploration for you to be entirely invested in the men-at-arms. Nolan has gone on the record comparing the casting of Styles to his decision to have Heath Ledger portray the Joker, but I'll go ahead and set the record straight that his performance is good, but nowhere near the leagues of Ledger's legendary turn. Familiar faces consisting of Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, and James D'Arcy are also to be found among the ensemble and each actor carried their weight well.

Elsewhere, Tom Hardy once again finds his face obstructed by some sort of mask in Dunkirk and I did find it difficult to interpret exactly what he was saying on occasion. However, Hardy did a tremendous job expressing himself with essentially only his eyes. If you thought some frequent Nolan collaborators were missing from my breakdown of the performances, then listen carefully for Michael Caine's voice as it turns up once in the film's first act. 

Dunkirk is one of the year's most meticulously made movies that's undoubtedly elevated by the IMAX format. Nolan makes good use of the enormous screen's full aspect ratio and the spectacular sound design really explodes in IMAX's thunderous sound system. The heftier ticket price of an IMAX screening is certainly worth it and if you only plan on seeing Dunkirk only once, I'd go with the IMAX experience. However, the 70 MM print is also not to be missed for cinema enthusiasts as it was quite cool to see something projected on actual film opposed to the standard digital projection found in most theaters today. If you're curious, I saw Dunkirk in 70MM for my first go-around and my second viewing was in IMAX. I'd personally advise you to do the same because there's a lot you'll pick up on that you may not have noticed the first time around. But if you have to choose, pick IMAX.

In conclusion, Dunkirk is an exceptional example of why I found filmmaking so fascinating in the first place. In the hands of a less-capable artist, the events at Dunkirk would have probably come across as boring or generic, but Nolan's insistence to tell this story through unconventional means enables an intense, immersive experience you'd be hard-pressed to emulate or liken to anything else.

Film Assessment: A