Interstellar

Goddamn what a film. It has been such a long time since I had seen this and I had only given it 4 stars previously; I was wrong. Christopher Nolan has always been one of my favorite directors, I particularly enjoyed The Prestige, and this film is no exception whatsoever. The soundtrack for this film is a definite standout, with astounding composition from Hans Zimmer. The visuals and cinematography standout as well, with some of the best looking shots I’ve ever seen, especially when in space, the wormhole, the other planets, and the black hole. Hell, every technical aspect of the film is a standout; it’s all phenomenal. Although I loved everything about the film, I particularly enjoyed the performances in the film. McConaughey provided some of his best work here, while Anne Hathaway does the same. It was cool to see John Lithgow and Michael Caine here, as they too gave some great performances (per usual). I always forget Timothée Chalamet is in this too, as his role honestly isn’t very memorable. I can’t review this film and not talk about the thematic material present in the film. I know I don’t have a great understanding and probably need a rewatch or two, as is the case with most Nolan films, but I’ll give it my best shot. The main themes I noticed were those of the precious nature of time, the transcendent nature of love, and the sanctity of life. The theme of time seems to be the main focus of the film, as much of the conflict is derived from Cooper abandoning his children/family to “save” humanity. Similarly, with love and life, Cooper’s struggles about leaving his family for the mission and then returning to see them much older and near death helps to exemplify these ideas. The emotional scene where he leaves Murph and tells her of what her mother once said was quite sad, but fully encapsulated the essence of the three themes that I felt were important. I fucking loved this film. I hadn’t seen it in so long that I had forgotten how good it was. McConaughey and Hathaway give phenomenal performances and Nolan exhibits some of his best work of his career here. The visuals, cinematography, sound design, and everything in between are all incredible. I didn’t fully understand the film and its meaning, but I understand its greatness. Overall, this is a perfect film and I now remember why it’s so highly regarded by so many.