Interstellar (2014)

2/5

Christopher Nolan's overindulgent Interstellar is a pretentious pile of crap. It will draw instant comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, mostly because it's overlong and cerebral, but it doesn't achieve nearly the same success as its predecessor in the field of art or entertainment. The plot is the least important part of the movie, but Nolan spends an exorbitant amount of time and effort explaining all its inane details. Whereas 2001 contained groundbreaking universal ideas, Interstellar contains unexciting characters performing specific tasks in a fictitious world. Nolan adds in an emotional tug that was absent in 2001, but it almost serves as the antithesis of the existential crisis at the core of both sci-fi films. I never felt myself pulled in by the relationship between Matthew McConaughey and his daughter (it felt inauthentic) or by Anne Hathaway's silly monologue about believing in love over science.

But my biggest problem with the film is that everything is wrapped up too neatly. I normally enjoy circular stories--where the end brings everything back to the beginning--but here it feels so written, so planned, so deceptive. The movie is too tidy for the big ideas it presents. Nolan tries to lecture and explain instead of let the film exist as a jumping off point. He wants to control the discussion instead of letting the discussion occur organically. Perhaps 2001's greatest strength is that it was so unexplained, so open to interpretation. Interstellar doesn't have that, and it leaves the movie flat. Despite the gorgeous visuals, spot-on acting, and surprise cameo, the movie just doesn't do it for me.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

4/5

Ben Affleck's directorial debut is self-assured and technically proficient. While not as incredible as American Beauty or Amores Perros, Gone Baby Gone is still a solid first effort. The story follows a private detective (Casey Affleck) in Boston hired to find a missing child. What starts as a simple premise quickly finds itself in the murky waters of moral ambiguity. As in all mysteries, this movie contains mystery, moments of tension, and a surprise ending. But its strongest contribution is that it forces us to ask ourselves what we would have done. For some it's an easier question than others.

I was impressed by the acting from all parties. We sense a lot of their backstories in subtle actions, not obvious dialogue--even the most shallow characters are portrayed with complexity. By far the most unexpected and impressive performance is Amy Ryan's depiction of the missing girl's drug-addled mother. She stole every single scene she was in. But even the best acting can't hide bland, blunt dialogue, which this movie had a surprising amount of. Still, the writing wasn't all that bad. The story was constantly fascinating, both in terms of plot and ethics.

Most of the problems in this movie lay in the editing. The story's two-part structure hurt the overall pacing of the film. The editing of each scene felt really jumpy, and I think Affleck overdid the grainy, two-second flashbacks. Also, the rapid-fire Boston accents (and even one Haitian accent) were difficult to follow and made the mystery even more confusing. Overall though, Gone Baby Gone is an intriguing film and succeeds in being much more than a simple police procedural.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0452623/

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

4/5

Ocean's Thirteen is entertainment of the guiltiest form. Although far from an artistic endeavor, it keeps you hooked. You know what will happen, but you watch anyway because the ride is so much fun. With its wonderful tongue-in-cheek style, you can tell just how much the actors were enjoying themselves. The numerous self-references, movie references, and in-jokes prove this. (I am a sucker for Godfather references.) I think Soderbergh really hit home with the style. From the 60's credits to the wipes and zooms, it truly felt like the movies it stole from. The pacing worked exceptionally well and I loved how the stories interweaved. Ocean's Twelve unevenly favored a few characters while most of our favorites were imprisoned and helpless. Here we see everyone working their magic the way we first met them, in perfect synchrony and balance. In this movie, Soderbergh fixed all the mistakes present in Twelve. And Pacino is great as the bad guy. It's a fun movie, so check it out if you liked the others (or at least the first one).

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0496806/