VISITOR COLUMN

What is the reason films are made for? What is the point in showcasing our creation? It's just for the people of the world to celebrate!

Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar”, honestly, is the greatest form of human creation on the celluloid. As the rare of the rarest directors, Nolan’s singular vision and artistic freedom to make the impossible possible and explore all the uncertainties infinitely, his “Interstellar” is just a ‘gargantuan’ making. Mankind’s next step is the greatest and Nolan has taken the most celebrated human invention – movies – to an all new level. The cerebral thread of “Interstellar” is the awesome experience of space and an altruistic portrayal of human emotions across solar systems. One would have never watched and never ever will watch a movie like “Interstellar”, henceforth. Period.

“Don’t go gentle into the good night”. “Love is the only perceived human emotion that could cut across the dimensions of time and space”. “We are not meant to save the world. We are meant to leave it”. Some of the most memorable phrases in human history find a significant rank in the epic of “Interstellar”. Many suggest that Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” is the modern presentation of legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s evergreen space odyssey, “2001: A Space Odyssey” made in 1975, about 39 years ago, But for me, as an avid viewer of world cinema, I find these two films just contrasting in every way. While Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” has a timeline and truth, Nolan’s “Interstellar” is just timeless and an outcome of pure imagination with an endless voyage across galaxies. If not a fiction, “Interstellar” could be touted as the ultimate survival story in the history of mankind. Throughout the film, one thing was certain and many things were uncertain. Certainty is that no frame in the movie was seen ever before and never again; uncertainty is that no frame in the movie is predictable and even if predicted, went awry. A noble film-making is always in that way, and through “Interstellar”, Nolan proves it yet again that he isn’t just a normal film-maker but a superlative human-being who makes movies for the world to celebrate and be proud of them.

I have been following the movie “Interstellar” ever since it was in the pre-production stage and I could truly tell, the making of “Interstellar” is insanely humongous just like the movie itself. Being a perfectionist himself, Christopher Nolan paid attention to every detail in the film including that of a dying earth, hopeless planets, image of the black hole, iced clouds, 5-D spaces which traverses time and gravity, time (years & light years) of space travel and a spaceship that included ultra-power navigation. To make the film look logically true, Nolan took theoretical physicist Kip Thorne in for the movie and started to build the look of the black hole by formulating equations. Newton’s “Laws of Motion” & Albert Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity” were used fundamentally to predict the movement of objects in space and how actually (or may be approximately) a black hole could look which tested the ultimate intelligence and creativity of the physicist. Possibly, Kip Throne believes that he might take his study which he did for “Interstellar” to the Noble Prize evaluators and who knows, he might even win that prestigious honour thanks to Christopher Nolan.

The finest aspect of the film is its reality and grounding to basic film-making. “Interstellar” is not about ahead-of-the-times film-making, but it is an elevation of contemporary film-making to an all new level. Many who closely follow Nolan might agree with me that he hates the use of technology and is an avid follower of grounded, realistic cinema. This is the reason why “Interstellar” was not made in 3D which he believes will ruin the core soul of the film and people will amuse more only for the 3D shots and leave behind the imagination and superlative storytelling. Nolan’s gigantic creations like “The Dark Knight” (2007), “Inception” (2010) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) have also been a pioneer of contemporary films at their times and with “Interstellar”, Nolan has raised the bar for the world film-makers even higher. The main reason for making “Interstellar” in IMAX is that Nolan wanted people to experience the real sound of space and zero-gravity. And well, he has succeeded big time.

The casting for “Interstellar” is just perfect as it could get. Matthew McConaughey as Cooper lives the role of a bounded father and as an ace pilot of space-crafts. Anne Hathaway as Dr. Brand and Jessica Chastain as Murphy show their true class act and are definitely star performers. The other show stealers are the ever graceful Michael Caine and the surprising Matt Damon. Music by Hans Zimmer is path-breaking and every frame and its mood are lighted up with his everlasting background score. Sound editing, cinematography and Visual effects lend justice to the infinite creativity of Nolan. Special mention to Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Lynda Obst Productions, Legendary Pictures and Syncopy – all production houses – of “Interstellar” for bringing the film in time as promised. In the business side, “Interstellar” made at an estimated budget of $165mn – comparatively moderate for a space film of this level – has now grossed more than $200mn (within 7 days) – official figures awaited – and is set to become the highest grossing movie of 2014 (including theatrical rights worldwide, DVD sales, TV rights and brand partnerships). “Interstellar’, however, is more than just business.

The interpretation of Murphy’s Law – “Whatever can happen, will happen” – and the unanswerable question of “they” are snippets of utmost intelligence, Nolan has given through “Interstellar”. People who question about the logic of “Interstellar” might need to revisit the theatre once again, as I find no reason to test the logic when the film is about fiction and represents imaginative creation. Overall, “Interstellar” is just extraordinary, completely satisfying experience and the cerebral of modern-day limelight for cinema. Maybe, sometimes, it strikes to be as the greatest film ever-made.

Finally, if “Inception” gave us all fantasies to dream within a dream, “Interstellar” now gives us a chance to explore the space in an unadulterated brilliant way destroying all the impossibilities. Take a bow, Christopher Nolan. You deserve much more, more than your first Academy Award for Best Director, which happens next year.

I N T E R S T E L L A R (4.5/5) – Par Excellent! An Epic Masterpiece from Nolan.