Review 2: Interstellar

Seen 5/1/15 and 5/22/15

See http://andrewtalksaboutmovies1.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-interstellar.html

4/4

My second viewing of Interstellar yielded less awe, and a little less fascination. But on the other hand, there was still so much left to pick up on, it was a very rewarding experience. To know this film inside and out is of very high value, as it touches on dozens of themes and ideas. One viewing is not nearly enough, and those who say there is nothing to chew on here have let the fast pace of the film distract them from the fact that many aspects of it could be independently developed into full-length movies. Christopher Nolan takes countless revolutionary ideas of the 20th century and places them in the script so casually, it's natural to miss them as they fly by.

One thing that struck me much more this time than last was the sense of pure discovery in the main character-- discovery for its own sake. This idea affected me profoundly, as I have been debating to great length lately what our purpose is for human advancement, scientific innovation, ensuring the survival of our species at all costs, etc. After hearing Cooper say such things as "we're explorers", and ponder modern education's focus on utility, rather than awe, I realized that the reason he ventures into other galaxies is because of his drive for adventure and exploration. I connected hugely with this. I don't think that the survival of our species is very important, nor is scientific advancement. I would maybe travel intergalactically to save those I personally love, but not humanity in general. And all our scientific progress would be rendered useless in an instant were our race to be wiped out, and even while we're here I don't think its products make us happier, which to me is the only worthwhile end that isn't intrinsic. But here's what I realized: to a select people, scientific exploration is intrinsically important. I think that this will be the case for me. Exploring and inventing and discovering is just, purely, awesome. It is cool. It gives one meaning and drive. It gives an immeasurable sense of fulfillment. Now that I don't believe in objective morality, nor objective values, nor most kinds of a deity, what can be my motivation to pursue physics or mathematics? It was even very difficult to justify when I did hold those beliefs. Interstellar has given me the best answer I have ever found: the pure pleasure of discovery; learning; digging; finding; pondering.

Another wonderful discovery I made upon my second viewing was the music of the film. It's all IVs, Vs and VIs, which is beautiful. Hans Zimmer does Hans Zimmer, and I will probably cherish this score as long as I cherish movies. It plays in some of the most awe-filled moments I have ever seen, so it is fantastically associated with that glory and beauty.
Memorable is the spinning docking sequence [best musical spinning docking sequence in space since Kubrick] and the tick-tock as the crew fights the wild beast of Time on Miller's planet.

What else came out upon a second look? The parts of the script that are incredibly lame. Notable is the parent-teacher conference with Martin Luther King (a truly awful scene, script-wise), much of the back-and-forth in the spacecrafts, and some McConaughey front-porch rambling ("our place in the dirt"). But I don't care to talk about this.

One thing I found incredible, that I didn't pay much mind to before, are these little moments of dialogue that are few and far between, but are the most realistic words I think I've ever seen spoken in a movie! One time, Anne Hathaway says something technical and then apologizes to herself because it was unnecessary or something! This is like those moments in real life when you say "whoops" to yourself to self-justify for creating an awkward-looking situation... I couldn't believe this happened in a movie! There are a couple other lines from her that must be improvised, or possibly even an error from the actor, but that are left in because they are gloriously genuine. If only Nolan would have cared to be genuine in the other 95% of the movie.

I lament how casual and humor-driven this review has become. It is now altogether informal. But these paragraphs are a stream-of-consciousness reflection on my second experience of this movie, which awarded tons of new insight, including a better grasp on character motives and the physics, the latter of which was very important to me. Interstellar remains a fantastic experience, and a monumental achievement in film. This is one of those movies I should watch every time I feel my tastes changing, to recalibrate myself and see what new it has to offer. A movie can be dynamic because the person experiencing it can be dynamic. It is my goal to live a dynamic life, and Interstellar will accompany Synecdoche, 2001 and I through it.