When I came out from seeing Interstellar in IMAX, I just wanted to be alone. I felt adrift, having returned from a journey that was intimate and the stake were high and had this overwhelming emotion wash over me. I'm a parent and there were several scenes in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar that just grabbed my heart and did not let go. I only wanted to rush home, hold my kids and hug them.
From the reviews that I heard about Interstellar, they were mixed with people complaining that it was slow, not filled with a lot of action and a long viewing time. I went in with an open mind, knowing a few things about the movie and that some reviewers had thought this was Nolan's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I love Kubrick's 2001 but I wouldn't compare it to Interstellar. Yes, they're both about space and humankind, but at the heart of Kubrick's film is a detached, emotionless view of aliens and humanity whereas Nolan's film asks the question: Is it our love that allows us to transcend space and time? An interesting question in a world filled with cynics, distrust and we've been there and done that.
Nolan's film is about family and sacrifice. In the near 3 hour run time, I never felt bored, confused or emotionally toyed. I imagined that I went on the ride with the astronauts and what an amazing ride it was. I wasn't happy with the $18.50 IMAX ticket price, but I don't often go to the movies and hardly ever to IMAX. Seeing Interstellar in IMAX was simply a joy. Between the sound and the visuals, I was immersed in the movie, feeling the rockets boost me off into space on a journey in which I was unsure. But Nolan is a master at spinning his yarn of a film out, over time, stretching it so that we truly do get the sense that time has passed.
I won't go into the details of the film because I do not wish to spoil it because knowing not much about the film was a pure joy to me. The surprises, the twists and the narrative are spun out expertly. From the special effects to the acting, all are top notch. I would say that the score does become overwhelming at parts and that it is difficult to hear the dialogue at times (Bill Hunt at thedigitalbits.com mentioned last Friday that there was a problem with the sound at his IMAX showing and he believes the movie was mixed incorrectly).
Once you strip away the plot and try to connect all the dots, yes, there might be moments where I scratched my head and wondered that the plot was a bit thin, but thematically, I understand what Nolan is trying to do in this movie. It's a great message about humankind's overall character and his vision of how we can transcend beyond the now to become something more.
When I look back at Moon, Under the Skin, and now Interstellar, I'm finding that there is hope with science fiction films today. I'm a bit tired of flicks like Guardians of the Galaxy. Interstellar is a feast that takes time and patience to appreciate. And I like it that way. I expect I'll have a bunch of questions floating around in my head and I'll definitely want to see this again when it comes out of Blu-ray. Go see this film on the big screen. I doubt you'll regret it. Is it perfect? No, but then again, what is?
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Ron Vitale is the author of the Cinderella's Secret Diaries series who hopes that his own children will overcome any obstacles in their way and find their own happily ever after.