Interstellar

Wow. How do you review a film like Interstellar? Well for one I am keeping it SPOILER FREE, so get ready for a very vague review, but overwhelmingly positive because Christopher Nolan has made yet another masterpiece.

Set in the future where our planet is running out of food and the human race is on the bridge of extinction, a team of explorers set out on the most important mission in history; travelling beyond our galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars. This is the basic premise, but after all, this is a Nolan film, expect this and a lot, lot more. Yes Chris and his brother Jonathon Nolan have written yet another complex and creative cinematic experience that is unlike any other film you will see this year.

The cast of the film is brilliant, especially main character Cooper played by Matthew McConaughey who continues his recent run of perfect performances. All the performances are great, however I have yet to find a character played by Anne Hathaway who I have any connection towards, she was perfectly fine in the movie, I just never engage with her as much as other actors.

The film is visually stunning, an incredible piece of film making that definitely takes a lot of influence from 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's about as long a running time as well, thankfully though the story runs at a faster pace! Be prepared though, this three hour film isn't a breezy fun time, you are going to have to sit and listen intently because this is one film that encourages you to think about what is going on. If you go in ready though, this film will blow your mind. It is unlike any other film I have seen and viewing it in the cinema really engrossed me into the epic scale and story. It doesn't follow the traditional three act structure and the story goes into different directions constantly. It's also very powerful and I was tearing up at least three different times during the film, it also has a countless amount of goosebumps moments. For a film about Matthew McConaughey going into space, the first 40 minutes I didn't want him to leave Earth for the sake of his family! The heat of this film lies in the father/daughter relationship,be prepared for a full range of emotions during this film, because it is pulled off extremely well.

I have read a lot of reviews picking holes in the plot or the realism of the science. They have done nothing to curb my enjoyment of this film. The science shown is based on theories rather then reality and although some of it can seem far fetched, this is at the end of the day a science fiction film. Sit back and believe if for the sake of the story and the themes and ideas it wants to convey. This is a film that you are going to take home with you, I saw it last night and I am still trying to process it all.

It has a few flaws like the odd one or two underdeveloped characters but this does not take away from the enjoyability and ambition of the film. Nolan films are going to get harder criticism then others because he has made a long list of incredible films. He is one of the best and most innovative filmmakers around and nobody makes films like Interstellar, so it is great to see a film that completely blows you away. I always leave his films in awe and respect of his filmmaking. Yes there are aspects of this film that could have been cut to shorten it, but at the end of the day this is not your average film, and the experience of watching it was worth every minute and I would happily of watched another hour if need be.

I feel like I'm gushing a bit now. Interstellar is a masterpiece of a film. Go see it. I am giving it a rating of 5/5.

I know this film has divided audiences, so let me know what you think in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #7

Odd selection of films for this post of quick reviews. Two Oscar nominated films and one that should have been in for Best Animated Film, if it had come out earlier. Read on to find out what I thought of The Lego Movie, Inside Llewyn Davis and Dallas Buyers Club.

The Lego Movie

This animated film is brilliant. It is a very nostalgic piece that brings you back to your childhood and reminds you of all the crazy and weird things you can do with Lego. The film feels like a child could have written the story and I do not mean that in a bad way! The story is big and wild as you follow Emmet, the special one who has been prophesied to save the word from the evil Lord Bussiness. Emmet however is a pretty average figurine living in a world run by one company, with their views and beliefs being chucked down his neck. Yes The Lego Movie is also political, but it's not distracting from the amount of fun you can have with it if you just sit back, relax and expect stupid hilarity that will have you laughing throughout. The Lego Movie is one of the smartest animated films I have ever seen, even though it is one big product placement, it never takes itself too seriously and never fails to make you laugh. It's just a lot of fun and so it should have been because that's what playing with Lego is all about. The film makes you feel like a kid again as you remember the wonders and imaginations of Lego with stunning CGI and stop motion animation. Bringing characters like Batman into the mix makes my inner nerd squeal and putting them into the crazy adventure is all a plus. I also saw it in 3D which was good but I wouldn't say it was necessary. I am giving the film a rating of 4/5. Take your family and go see it!

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers latest film is a treat. The beautifully shot Inside Llewyn Davis follows a folk singer as he tries to get through life after his music partner has committed suicide, and whilst his luck is generally just going down hill. The film is bittersweet but Oscar Issac manages to bring a softness to character who seems unlikeable but by the end of the film I was really caring for him. The film has the most amazing lighting, every shot looks incredible and a lot of care has gone in to them, as you would expect from a Coen brothers film. The best thing about this film is it's relationship with the music, much of the film is full of musical performances but every single one feels unique and adds a new depthness to the already well written characters, never getting boring. The music itself is also great and there is a great selection of songs on the soundtrack, which I bought immediately after seeing the film. It's a tragic yet sweet story that is put together so well with its great shots, lighting, dialogue and performances. The Coens always bring lightness to a bad situation with their brilliant writing style. I know Inside Llewyn Davis is going to be one of those films that I can watch over and over again. I am giving it a rating of 5/5. I wish it all the best at the Oscars this year!

Dallas Buyers Club

I knew this film would be good but I didn't expect it to hold up so well against the other Best Film Oscar contenders this year. I was wrong, Dallas Buyers Club is an incredible film that feels very relevant for the time we live in. even in our world now, there is still a lot of prejudice against homosexuality and AIDs and this film strives to change our views even though the film is set in the 80's when our prejudices were worse than they are now. I would give an Oscar to Matthew McConaughey right now if I could, he has my metaphorical vote for his performance as  Ron Woodworth, a man who strived to get medication to AIDs patients after being diagnosed himself. It's a truly powerful and uplifting story despite it's heavy topic, the way it unfolds took me by surprise and kept me hooked to the screen at all times. This is a really brilliant film that needs to be seen by everybody, its story is one that needs to be told even though it took an age for the film to be in development. The use of sound and cinematography heightens all emotions as you start to feel for a character that began as racist, homophobic cowboy. The other highly commendable performance that everyone is talking about is Jared Leto's. Believe the hype, he is great, but I think the spotlight deserves to be on McConaughey, who really does go all out for the character. I loved this film, it is amazing and therefore I am also rating it a 5/5. It may not win Best Film but it should win Best Actor hands down!

What did you think of the films I have reviewed? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #4

I was originally intending to use this post to write one big review for The World's End but I watched Mud last night and how could I not review it, especially as it was my favourite film of the year so far. So instead I have a written another 'Quick Reviews' post where I give my opinions on both the films.

The World's End 

The highly anticipated threequel to the Cornetto trilogy is a lot darker than it's predecessors. That's not to say it doesn't dish out the laughs. Whereas Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were a lot lighter in tone, this time round Simon Pegg's character Gary is a alcoholic wreck stuck in the mindset of his younger more rebellious days while his four other friends have all grown up, he's quite a sad character really. Gary reunites his friends to finally accomplish the Golden Mile, 12 pubs, 60 pints finishing at 'The World's End'. For the first 20 minutes you start to forget that this is in fact a sci-fi film, the characters are so layered that this could have been about the fivesome without the use of an robot/alien invaded town. But this is Edgar Wright and this film would not be right if it didn't involve some kind of fantastical Hollywood element and it worked for this film and made for a lot of laughs. The humour my not be as consistent in this film as it has been in others but it is still really funny, making it one of the best comedies of the last few years. It's great to see the trio that is Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost back together making movies again because they do it so well! I really hope this isn't the last time we see the trio make a film together. The usual ensemble of actors is back with a few new faces, everyone is great in their roles however I do feel that a few minor characters such as Reece Shearsmith's were not needed and were just there for their cameo appearance. The film looks great and Wright's fast paced camera movements define is auteur style and make for some great comic action scenes, ones that should hopefully be replicated when he takes to directing Ant-Man in the next couple of years.The writing is great and the jokes are funny, something which isn't always achieved in mainstream comedy films at the moment. I wouldn't even know where to start when comparing it to the two previous films because all have been of high quality. I am giving The World's End a rating of 4/5.

Mud

I was gripped throughout the whole of Mud. Director Jeff Nichols has written a story so strong and powerful that even if the cinematography wasn't as beautiful and the actors as good as they are, this film would still be amazing. The film follows two boys as they encounter a fugitive and try to help him to evade capture or death from a set of bounty hunters and reunite him with his true love. This film is just incredible, an instant American classic. A change in pace and tone from the director's previous work with Take Shelter, which is also a great film. The two kids played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland are brilliant and hold their ground against Matthew McConaughey who is continuing his streak of great roles in this film which might be his best to date. With most of the blockbuster films this year being below expectations it's great to see something small come along and blow you away. Hands down this is the best film I have seen this year. The story reminded me of children's stories like Stig of the Dump or coming of age films but with much more mature themes such as loss of innocence and breakdown of romance. I really cannot praise this film enough, therefore I am giving Mud a rating of 5/5. Go and see it!

Thanks for reading!