Topic: A Christopher Nolan Thread

[Latenight Surfer]

Spoiler

The Miller planet scenes were truly breathtaking

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As I said .. great visuals but story wise couldn't do justice to the entire topic, which is a vast one at that.

[johnsmithlfc]

Saw this last night. In short - loved 90% of the stuff in space, was at best indifferent at almost all of the stuff on earth. Liked the robots. Thought Casey Affleck's character was a total mess, and can only imagine a lot of the exposition for him lay on the cutting room floor. As someone else said the pacing was all over the place, and the intercutting between space and earth was at times just nonsense.

The end was abysmal in so many ways, in that some of it felt far too rushed, but also overlong but my main ire is reserved for...

Spoiler

The mess of Coop visiting Murph in the hospital. What the giddy fucking hell was that? So her entire family - WHO ARE THEREFORE HIS FUCKING FAMILY - just ignore a man thats 123 years old, has travelled through a black hole, a worm hole and been found floating in space and is directly responsible for her saving the entire planet. They just move aside, let murph have her moment, then let coop fuck off again. Had she not talked about her dad THE FUCKING ASTROUNAUT THAT SAVED THE WORLD  at all? Did NONE of her CLOSEST FAMILY care that he was there?

It felt so so so lazy - we need to get this scene done quickly and let you fuck off to that woman in space that i guess you might have liked? In a film that was in many ways about love saving you how is it acceptable for Murph to say 'oh i've got my family, you just jib off to space with anne hathaway i guess'. Oh they're your family? yeah i know but don't worry about that, off you pop.

[close]

Writing that down it pissed me off more than I realized but it really was awful.

Totally agree... I wondered why they all just ignored him.
Just another WTF moment to be fair.

[Macphisto80]

Watched it last night, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Had it's moments, but I feel that it ultimately collapses under it's own weight. I think it's a hodgepodge of some good ideas that should have been the basis of the entire film, but instead there were just too many themes trying to be explored and it ultimately ended up being a bit of a mess; and that last 15 minutes or so...what the fuck! That made the 3rd act of Sunshine suddenly seem plausible in comparison.  It's a shame, because had more care been taken with the script, this could have been a really good film if it were streamlined, made shorter and had all the extraneous guff cut out of it.

[Mr Dilkington]

Fella on my timeline just now saying that anyone who can find a single fault with this film is a sad prick. Oh and apparently this is the best film of the 21st century.

[Macphisto80]

Fella on my timeline just now saying that anyone who can find a single fault with this film is a sad prick. Oh and apparently this is the best film of the 21st century.

There has to be a name for this kind of mental illness.

[johnsmithlfc]

There has to be a name for this kind of mental illness.

There is...it's called "Fucking Deluded"

[KERRYKOP]

Went to see it tonight. Thought they should have crowbarred  Matthew McCnaughey's schoolgirl's line from Dazed and Confused into it somehow, but other than that it was pretty good.

[Something Awful]

Went to see it tonight. Thought they should have crowbarred  Matthew McCnaughey's schoolgirl's line from Dazed and Confused into it somehow, but other than that it was pretty good.

Best review ever.

[KERRYKOP]

Best review ever.

Thanks slick 

[Something Awful]

Thanks slick 

I wasn't being a dick, you just made me spend fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to fit the line in.

Spoiler

"That's what I love about planets that orbit perilously close to black holes man, we get older, they stay the same age"

[close]

is the best I could do.

[KERRYKOP]

Not bad, although I'd definitely try to keep the schoolgirls element, it's the best part, fuck all that space shite.

@Sharado Spot on, I was wondering wtf as well.

[jooneyisdagod]

Actually thought he came up with it??
Sheesh - that is insane,It really is like a cult mate.
I too enjoyed it but there were numerous flaws, the dialogue was cheesy and full of exposition.... it was melodramatic and actually just silly in places.
But it was visually stunning and actually somewhere beneath melodrama and poorly written characters and dialogue, there is a good film.

No, to be fair he didn't think Nolan came up with it. He thought Nolan understood it and made it into a film like no one has ever done before.

[Red_Irishman]

The score for this was incredible. It's 'made' the movie if you know what I mean. I was very close to tears when Coop was watching them clips of the family and I think it was mainly because of the music.

Surely zimmer has the Oscar sealed up for this!

[jooneyisdagod]

Do not read if you haven't already seen the film.

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/11/the_7_biggest_problems_with_interstellar_partner/

[Redman0151]

Do not read if you haven't already seen the film.

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/11/the_7_biggest_problems_with_interstellar_partner/

Don't think the writer of that article is very familiar with the sci-fi genre.

Spoiler

Time loops have been a thing forever in sci-fi, where things have to occur for the future to happen, but the future has already happened causing current events to occur. Time usually isn't thought of as linear in these films, as The Doctor puts it, it's wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY_Ry8J_jdw

Also, lots of exposition was pretty much necessary in the dialogue, there's too many idiots in the world, he has to appeal to mainstream audience. Mann really wasn't a pointless character either, but the point of him seems to have completely gone over the reviewer's head

[close]

Also

Thinking man's Michael Bay?
Having a go at Zimmer's score?
Having a go about picking bad names for characters?

Really? Just reads like somebody trying to jump on the bandwagon rather than somebody with genuine criticism.

[jooneyisdagod]

Don't think the writer of that article is very familiar with the sci-fi genre.

Spoiler

Time loops have been a thing forever in sci-fi, where things have to occur for the future to happen, but the future has already happened causing current events to occur. Time usually isn't thought of as linear in these films, as The Doctor puts it, it's wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY_Ry8J_jdw

Also, lots of exposition was pretty much necessary in the dialogue, there's too many idiots in the world, he has to appeal to mainstream audience. Mann really wasn't a pointless character either, but the point of him seems to have completely gone over the reviewer's head

[close]

Also

Thinking man's Michael Bay?
Having a go at Zimmer's score?
Having a go about picking bad names for characters?

Really? Just reads like somebody trying to jump on the bandwagon rather than somebody with genuine criticism.

I've put my response in spoiler tags in case I've unknowingly said something that might spoil the film for someone. Plus the last bit definitely references important plot points in the film.

Spoiler

I agree about the score. It was way too loud and I had the same issue with not being able to hear the dialogues and when I did I thought some of it was clunky and stupid. Dr. Mann's character was stupid. That's how I felt.

Thinking man's Michael Bay is another sentiment I thought before I even read this article. There always seem to be logical inconsistencies in some of his films. Not all of them are major inconsistencies but when they go that route, it becomes hard to take the film seriously. Like the Dark Knight Rises where Batman makes it back from the arsehole of the world only to spend all night painting the Bat sign on a bridge instead of doing something useful. It's an attempt to reconcile philosophical questions with mainstream pop corn munching stuff that to be fair I think Nolan handles skillfully but any deeper questioning causes the rails to come off.

And that's fine because as I mentioned earlier, I think Nolan skillfully balances mainstream commercial viability with more philosophical thought. But the logical inconsistencies add up. I thought the film was full of great ideas but with many logical inconsistencies. The Dark Knight Rises was quite underwhelming for me. Inception was much better IMO but still not as good as The Dark Knight.

I know the time is circular idea that is used in these films. But circular or not, there had to be a point where humans figured out the equations by themselves without either a Murph or Coop doing the things they did if they were to build the device through which Coop communicates with Murph which forms the crux of the story.

And the bit in the end about Coop going off to meet up with Brand was something I noticed as well as being the sort of ultimate getting over the dead wife ending.

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[Redman0151]

I've put my response in spoiler tags in case I've unknowingly said something that might spoil the film for someone. Plus the last bit definitely references important plot points in the film.

Spoiler

I agree about the score. It was way too loud and I had the same issue with not being able to hear the dialogues and when I did I thought some of it was clunky and stupid. Dr. Mann's character was stupid. That's how I felt.

Thinking man's Michael Bay is another sentiment I thought before I even read this article. There always seem to be logical inconsistencies in some of his films. Not all of them are major inconsistencies but when they go that route, it becomes hard to take the film seriously. Like the Dark Knight Rises where Batman makes it back from the arsehole of the world only to spend all night painting the Bat sign on a bridge instead of doing something useful. It's an attempt to reconcile philosophical questions with mainstream pop corn munching stuff that to be fair I think Nolan handles skillfully but any deeper questioning causes the rails to come off.

And that's fine because as I mentioned earlier, I think Nolan skillfully balances mainstream commercial viability with more philosophical thought. But the logical inconsistencies add up. I thought the film was full of great ideas but with many logical inconsistencies. The Dark Knight Rises was quite underwhelming for me. Inception was much better IMO but still not as good as The Dark Knight.

I know the time is circular idea that is used in these films. But circular or not, there had to be a point where humans figured out the equations by themselves without either a Murph or Coop doing the things they did if they were to build the device through which Coop communicates with Murph which forms the crux of the story.

And the bit in the end about Coop going off to meet up with Brand was something I noticed as well as being the sort of ultimate getting over the dead wife ending.

[close]

Spoiler

I'm not going to try and defend TDKR because I thought it was garbage myself, but I don't think it's anywhere near enough to put him as a thinking man's Michael bay. Michael Bay is into movies to make money, bang hot women that he casts as extras and look at explosions he's made on a PC, regardless of what you think of his films, at least Nolan goes and tries to make something worth making with some genuine love and interest past making maximum profit by flooding the frame with CGI + product placement.

Dr Mann as I interpreted it was supposed to be "the best of us" and it was showing his survival instinct and how desperate humans could become and what effects being isolated on yourself in an entire galaxy could do to you, I thought it was quite cool, although the McConaughey vs Damon rolling around fighting in the snow came across as a bit schlocky.


Maybe it's just me but I didn't take the ending as Coop traveling across the galaxy to bone Anne Hathaway, I thought he was just going to help set up the new colony and help set up a system with the right morals and ideals. Maybe I misread the situation.


I get that the explanation for the second part of the formula might not be everybody's cup of tea, but I really liked it (even if I guessed it early on).


Maybe the speaker system was done differently in other films but the only time I struggled to hear the audio was when Michael Caine was on his death bed speaking. I thought the sound helped add to the atmosphere, the loud rocket launch followed immediately by the eery silence in space, I enjoyed it.

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[Redcap]

Spoiler from the article

Spoiler

If you’re tabulating your drinking rules at home, I’ll give a head start: Finish your drink when Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper explains, with full Freudian overtones, that he’ll be the same age as his daughter when he gets back from space.

[close]

My friend turned and gave me a look when McConaissance spoke that line. I couldn't help cracking up. I'm glad I'm not a total freak.

[Bird Bird Bird The Bird Is The Word]

Watched this the other day, and I'd give it 6/10 or 7/10, at the most. Didn't care enough to dislike it or pick it apart.

Spoiler

Oh, nearly burst out laughing when the kid said, after coughing, "It's the dust."

[close]

[Something Awful]

Nolan has never made a movie as good as The Rock so let us not compare him with Michael Bay.

I thought the article was mostly spot on. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the movie though.

[Ray K]

Saw it last night and thought it was an absolute mess.  Storyline made very little sense, the score/sound mix was so intrusive that I couldn't hear a thing they were saying (though that may have been my cinema), and the characterization all over the place.  I literally did not understand Anne Hathaway's character's motivations at all.  Nor Casey Affleck's.

And most of the major story arcs were incredibly predictable.

Spoiler

Matt Damon going psycho?  Yep, saw it coming for 20 mins.
Michael Caine hiding the true nature of the mission? Obvs.
Cooper going through the wormhole and ending up behind his effin' bookcase?  Yep, if you've ever watched much sci-fi.

[close]

And I hated the Ken Burns Dust Bowl shit at the start. 

So disappointing.  And I'm a Nolan fan of such long standing that I saw Memento at the cinema three times.

[johnsmithlfc]

I thought the article was mostly spot on. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the movie though.

Yeah I read it a couple of days ago and couldn't disagree with it.
It's a little harsh and some stuff seems like unnecessary digging, but on the whole the article made sense and I pretty much agreed with it all.


This bit made me piss myself

Spoiler

If the omnipotent humans need Matthew McConaughey to communicate the secret of love to his daughter through library book code in order to save humanity

[close]

I know it's kind of harsh and rather simplifying things (or maybe not) but I really laughed at that.

[jooneyisdagod]

I'd forgotten about that diabolical speech by Hathaway. The more I think about it there was a lot of shit in this.

That was one of the worst speeches I have ever heard in a film. It reminded me of the scene in 500 days of summer where Joseph Gordon Levitt goes on a massive rant in a meeting which while listening I thought was completely fucking rubbish until only one character (His mate) starts a slow clap and everyone gives him a weird look as if to say "what the fuck are you on about?". Where that scene succeeded was in showing how irrational the main character was being and at the same time taking a pot shot at Hollywood's tendencies to have such bombastic speeches. Where the one in Interstellar fails is that it is one of those bombastic speeches and frankly, one of the worst.

[Redman0151]

Nolan has never made a movie as good as The Rock so let us not compare him with Michael Bay.

I thought the article was mostly spot on. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the movie though.

Unless you're blinded by nostalgia or judging it by a different scale, I can't see how it's possible to rate The Rock above something like TDK, Memento or Prestige.


Bay's constant serving of warm diarrhea doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as real directors

[Brian Blessed]

Nolan has never made a movie as good as The Rock so let us not compare him with Michael Bay.

[G a r y]

Fucks sake, going to see this tonight. I thought it was going to be boss, by the sound of it you've all written it off

[Redman0151]

Fucks sake, going to see this tonight. I thought it was going to be boss, by the sound of it you've all written it off

Nah some of us really enjoyed it mate, it splits opinion

[Spongebob Redpants]

Saw this last night .

I missed quite a bit of the dialogue which spoilt it somewhat . Thought it was just me , so relieved that others have said similar .

As far as the film goes , it's worth a watch , but could have been much more . Plenty to pick out for easy criticism of you like .

[Paul JH]

I think Nolan is a good director. The Prestige is a beautiful movie, and The Dark Knight is a wonderfully entertaining movie also. I think a lot of the 'backlash' is the way it is with any successful person, people just then want to line up to knock them down and smugly say 'I always thought he was shit ...'.

BUT ...

There are glaring inconsistencies in his movies. Small examples, in The Dark Knight, when the Joker goes to the fundraising bash looking for Harvey Dent. We see him throw Rachel out of the window, and then that's it. The movie never see's to resolve exactly what happened next, they just go elsewhere. Batman says 'he's safe' and yet wouldn't the Joker just keep looking for him when Batman had been dealt with?

Then The Dark Knight Rises, Wayne getting back into a cut off Gotham with no explanation as to why?

Little things like that DO litter his movies, but that said, I think I've enjoyed all but one of his films. Inception for me on repeat viewing is just endless exposition. Very well put together, very well made, intriguing but endless explanation. I just don't understand the vociferous backlash now. It's all a bit tedious and Twitter age.

[Latenight Surfer]

Went to see it tonight. Thought they should have crowbarred  Matthew McCnaughey's schoolgirl's line from Dazed and Confused into it somehow, but other than that it was pretty good.

 

[Something Awful]

I think Nolan is a good director. The Prestige is a beautiful movie, and The Dark Knight is a wonderfully entertaining movie also. I think a lot of the 'backlash' is the way it is with any successful person, people just then want to line up to knock them down and smugly say 'I always thought he was shit ...'.

BUT ...

There are glaring inconsistencies in his movies. Small examples, in The Dark Knight, when the Joker goes to the fundraising bash looking for Harvey Dent. We see him throw Rachel out of the window, and then that's it. The movie never see's to resolve exactly what happened next, they just go elsewhere. Batman says 'he's safe' and yet wouldn't the Joker just keep looking for him when Batman had been dealt with?

Then The Dark Knight Rises, Wayne getting back into a cut off Gotham with no explanation as to why?

Little things like that DO litter his movies, but that said, I think I've enjoyed all but one of his films. Inception for me on repeat viewing is just endless exposition. Very well put together, very well made, intriguing but endless explanation. I just don't understand the vociferous backlash now. It's all a bit tedious and Twitter age.

Exactly, The Rock has none of that.

[greyfade]

Nolan has never made a movie as good as The Rock

thank fuck for that

[elsewhere]

I might be on the minority but I think Mackenzie Foy as the young Murph did the best acting job in the movie.

[Something Awful]

thank fuck for that

Had a better Zimmer score too!

[Haemoglobin]

Nolan has never made a movie as good as The Rock so let us not compare him with Michael Bay.

Losers always whine about their best.

Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.

[Something Awful]

Losers always whine about their best.

Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.

See, that's Michael Bay prime*, shame he peaked early.

*apparently Tarantino might have had a hand in it

[just Riggins?]

I might be on the minority but I think Mackenzie Foy as the young Murph did the best acting job in the movie.

I agree

Thought MM was better in his other recent stuff

[TepidT2O]

I've just seen it.

Tremendously moving film, really powerful on many levels.

[RideTheWalrus]

Okay, I really enjoyed it. Few things bugged me, though.

Spoiler

Explosions in space. There was a few, and nothing bugs me more.

The ‘love transcending galaxies and time’ stuff was terrible, unnecessary and cheesy. The love story seemed shoehorned in.

Why didn’t Coop care about seeing his son? Asking if he’s alive? He 100% only cared about Murph.

The countdown scene when Coop was driving away was great, as was when he sees his kid’s messages after 23 years. I really liked it, but a few moments took me out of the immersion.

[close]

[Skidder.]

Not Interstellar related, but holy shitballs; watching Memento chronologically is more of a headfuck than watching it in non-chronologically.