Film Review: Interstellar (2014)

When Eames (Tom Hardy) said "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling" in Christopher Nolan's Inception, it may have seemed like little more than a throwaway quip, but that no longer seems to be the case. Nolan seems to have adopted it as a personal credo, since that sentiment is all over his latest project, Interstellar. Nolan returns to science fiction with a story that leaves dreams, Gotham and the Earth itself behind for the far reaches of space. It sends a small group of scientists, and audiences, on a journey that involves intergalactic travel, wormholes and a crisis that threatens to destroy all of humanity. It's epic filmmaking on a galactic scale, full of wonder and ambition, but the bigger canvas brings Nolan's flaws into sharper relief.

Shot/Reverse Shot: Episode 74 - Interstellar

Christopher Nolan's Interstellar has been one of the most divisive mainstream films of recent memory (probably since The Dark Knight Rises, appropriately enough) and that has proven to be the case within  the Shot/Reverse Shot offices. I didn't particularly care for the film, though I did admire it, while Joe thought it was pretty decent. Using that divergence of opinion as a jumping off point, Joe and I talk about Nolan's work in general, his strengths and weaknesses as a filmmaker, and how even Interstellar's failings demonstrate how Nolan has been able to reach the upper echelons of Hollywood filmmaking.

Film Review: Man of Steel (2013)

If there's one image that sums up Man of Steel, Zack Snyder's loud, long, and tedious retread of the Superman story, it's of the Hero Formerly Known As Kal-El (Henry Cavill) knocking down a skyscraper as he goes mano a super-mano with General Zod (Michael Shannon). It's a fleeting moment, but one that says a lot about the intentions and attitudes of the film, as well as those of the people who made it. Whereas most iterations of Superman have focused primarily on him saving people, often at the expense of his own well being, and doing as much as possible to limit the damage, Man of Steel's climax is all about how much damage is inflicted while trying to defeat Zod.

Shot/Reverse Shot: Episode 10 - The Dark Knight Rises

Following on nicely from our Blockbusters episode, this special Bat-episode of Shot/Reverse Shot finds me and Joe discussing The Dark Knight Rises, the final instalment in Christopher Nolan's Batman series. Along the way we discuss how the film works as a conclusion to a trilogy (pretty well), as a film in its own right (perhaps not as well) and we offer our thoughts on Nolan's work in general. However, since this wouldn't be an episode of Shot/Reverse Shot without a little bit of off-topic waffle, we also talk about The Big Sleep, point out in what way Batman Returns is better than The Bible, and fail to get Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name right.

We go into a fair deal of detail about the plot, so you positively should not listen to this podcast until after watching the film itself.

You can stream the episode below or subscribe to the podcast using iTunes. If you choose the latter, please listen, rate and review.

Film Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Ever since he revitalised the franchise with Batman Begins in 2005, Christopher Nolan has used the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne and the setting of Gotham City as a prism through which to view the fears and tensions of contemporary America. This was especially explicit in the second film, The Dark Knight, which posited Heath Ledger's Joker as a chaotic, unstoppable force of destruction with nothing to lose. In short, he was a nervous and unhinged personification of the spectre of terrorism, complete with recorded messages of violence, political assassinations, and destruction on a massive scale.