NOTE: Contextual spoilers possible below:
What Are the Themes of Interstellar?
To me, the primary themes of Interstellar were the burden of the explorer, the empathy gap between how you feel about loved ones vs. the world at large, and the brutal decisions we must make with the slight amount of time we have in over lives.
What Do You Make of the Science?
I thought they did an excellent job given the complexity of the subject matter. Turning wormholes, singularities and the fifth dimension into casual talking points is an impossible task for most directors, but Christopher Nolan does the best job of “mainstreaming” huge concepts on anyone.
What Did You Think of the Acting?
Here’s the biggest issue for most people, even those of us that love the film – could anyone have pulled off some of these lines? Anne Hathaway‘s speech about “love” is painful at times, and Matthew McConaughey is slightly ridiculous in certain moments. This wasn’t an issue for me because the film moves along so quickly and there were scenes that had emotional resonance too (Matt Damon‘s speech).
Is This a “Cold” Film?
Many critics have complained that Nolan’s films lack a human touch. Do you find that to be the case? In my humble opinion they are definitely “depressive” at times, but all of the scenes come from a place of sincerity. I’m not sure how you present a “warm” film about life, science, the universe, and everything, as it takes a sober touch, but perhaps I’m missing something.
What’s Your Final Grade?
I’d be around an “A”, I loved it, but this is Nolan’s lowest ever rated film on RottenTomatoes, so I’m thinking it’s going to be all over the board. Or, is this just another case of critics lacking the awe of someone who only sees ten films a year?
Bonus: Did Anne Hathaway Know?
If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about. It’s an interesting scene, and Jessica Chastain asks the question. Anne Hathaway denies everything, but was she being honest? I’m not so sure.
Bonus #2: Umm, exactly how many dimensions did this film get in to?
I’m pretty sure the “fifth” dimension was mentioned, and of course time, space, and gravity are thrown around as terms throughout. But what are the dimensions? Anyone out there care to explain, and clue me in on what exactly the mysterious “equation” was about? That would help me sleep a lot better.
Your turn now, let’s hear the opinions of the watchers and, again, spoilers are welcomed in the comments for this one. If you haven’t yet seen the film you might want to stay clear.
