Interstellar (2014)

I’d been thinking about seeing this in a theater again since I saw the idea for an IMAX rerelease floated online a couple months ago. And then it finally happened…in America. I kept refreshing the theater schedules on the theaters in Israel, waiting, hoping that I’d see Interstellar pop up somewhere. But nothing appeared. I even reached out directly to a theater asking whether or not Interstellar was coming to their theater. Needless to say, I was upset that I couldn’t see it in IMAX when all my film friends in America could and I so desperately wanted there to be a showing in Israel. And then, out of the blue, the Tel Aviv Cinematheque decided to put on one, singular showing. I bought tickets right away - a week in advance - and have been looking forward to this day ever since.

I hung around for a few hours after work today, excitement and anticipation building up. And then, just like that, after months of waiting, it was time.
It was a completely sold out theater. Excitement and conversation pulsed through the crowd right up until the movie started. You could feel the shared joy all these theatergoers had - the joy of being able to see their favorite movie on the big screen once again.

And my reaction after all that time: HOLY SHIT

I’m so grateful we have filmmakers like Nolan who make FILMS for audiences. Movies that are crafted by an artist, each detail fully realized - from the script to the cinematography, VFX, lighting, sound design, SCORE!!! You come out of his movies just thinking YES - that is what movies can do! That is what movies can be! It’s exhilarating.
But you also go through an emotional journey on this movie. Nolan puts such an emphasis on the boundless, limitless power of love. He takes us to the stars but stays true to a tenet of filmmaking- that it’s all about the characters. We care about the mission for the same reason Cooper did - because we believed it would save his family. When he keeps fighting, we root for him because we also care - we know how much he’d sacrificed. We feel the gravity of the world saving stakes because they’re framed in something so close to home.

I’ve always been a fan of Matthew McConaughey’s performance but I forgot how vital Anne Hathaway is to this movie. She really pulls her own weight and is the perfect foil to McConaughey’s character.

This score transported me. I can’t really say much about it, I wish I had the words. It’s just one of the most powerful, simple-yet-complex, iconic scores and I’m grateful we have it.

The girl to my right sobbed throughout the movie. During every emotional scene she cried, during every twist she was audibly shocked, during every crazy visual she let out sighs of disbelief. She cried continuously for the final 10 minutes. After the credits rolled, the person in front of me turned around to her and said earnestly, “Thank you - that really added to my experience”. Other people turned to her and agreed, some comforted her. The friend she was with told us all that this was her first time seeing the movie. I heard her turn to her privately after and say, “Those were the songs I was always playing on the piano. I’m so happy you got to hear them on the big screen.”

Me too, random girl, me too. I’m so happy I got to see this movie again on the big screen. I’m so happy I got to hear this score again, blaring on the loud speakers all around me. I’m so happy I got to experience this with an audience. Thank G-d for Nolan and his unparalleled filmmaking craft. Thank G-d for movies.