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Jeopardy

by: Shoos Off

Interstellar (2014) / Gone Girl (2014)

Since I saw Interstellar (2014) this past Saturday, the movie has been lingering in my head.

I didn’t know what to make of it right away. I mean, I acknowledged it was good from a technical standpoint, beautiful shots and soundtrack and amazing performances (specially from Matthew McConaughey and Jessica Chastain) and that I had a great time watching it… but couldn’t figure out if it was worth the outrageous score on iMDB and all that incredible praise it’s been getting.

There were a few things about it that raised some uncertainty in my decision… mainly the big thing for me was that the movie tends to over complicate things that could easily be a lot simpler - even Michael Caine said he was confused! Sure, it can appeal to the intellect and imagination but even so... you take the chance of losing the audience and on top of that you might be perceived as pretentious or even silly at times. I’m not even sure if what I wrote just now makes sense, but I hope that at least for those who have watched it already, this can resonate in some shape or form.

Nonetheless, after I saw it with a group of friends, a discussion followed as we were leaving the room. Things became clearer and other ideas came up to mind. All of the sudden, it had become more enjoyable after we cleared the air and talked about Nolan’s intentions as a director managing a complex, yet fascinating script.

Some can argue that debate after a movie - in order to fully comprehend the plot - is a great thing, because it adds more to it… others might see it as a bad sign since you should be able to get the plot on your own and if you didn’t, well… either the director did a bad job or you might be seen as not very bright (there's always that someone who's afraid to admit that they didn't get it or didn't like it, when something is almost unanimously good).

Unfortunately, I’m more inclined to say I really didn’t keep up when I should… I want to blame the director, but it’s hard for me to doubt Nolan’s abilities. He’s one of the best directors out there without a single bad movie in his repertoire, which leads me to be quicker doubting myself than actually questioning Nolan’s decisions. Despite poor audio mixing in the first few scenes, I'm pretty sure I didn't miss out on important parts of the dialog. 

That said, and with days gone by since I last saw it and after much consideration I can now stand my ground and say it’s a terrific movie. In fact, one of the best I’ve seen this year. It still doesn’t top Gone Girl as my favorite of 2014 (check my post on the subject) and I think it certainly doesn't deserve the high ranking it holds at the moment on iMDB.

With an amazing script, great directing and all around performances, Gone Girl just made a bigger impression. Even though Interstellar is the kind of film that will live longer in history and will be more appreciated as a cinematic experience within all its majestic beauty and powerful details, this novel turned movie still remains the most enjoyable film I’ve seen in 2014.

David Fincher is a master at messing with people’s emotions. You find yourself getting into these psychological traps, where things are not as they seem and you are constantly doing U-turns to your opinions. I really found it to be more appealing and entertaining... but, as you know, these things are highly subjective.

In a nutshell, Interstellar is a timeless cinema work of art - which I recommend people watching it in a big screen. Gone Girl on the other hand is a movie that I urge people to watch it, knowing that it doesn't really require a mandatory trip to your local cinema since it doesn't hold up to the same sort of visual standards as Chris Nolan's latest feature.