BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Starting with the message, I think this film is a perfect example of historical dramatization usable as a primary source on the period in which it was produced. Spike Lee, never one for subtlety, is very on the nose about calling out Trump, featuring all his favorite slogans and footage of the man himself at the very end. So not only is the movie thematically poignant, it is necessary as blatant white supremacy rears its ugly head in public.

The style is not obviously Spike Lee. By no means is it slow, but it doesn't have the kinetic forward energy that pushes along some of his earlier works. There are some tinges of blaxploitation, alluded to directly. There are experimental cuts and edits that are a little too film school for someone so experienced--the floating heads watching Stokeley Carmichael's speech are sort of strange, the titles over the Charlottesville footage look a little childish (or rushed? as if the titles were so insignificant he just used the default in the editing software). The allusions to Birth of a Nation are obvious, but the opening scene from Gone with the Wind followed by Alec Baldwin's un-polished monologue are unusual directorial choices. I love the use of music. The main theme sounds exactly like an undercover cop soundtrack stereotype. There are also some tracks of more rah-rah Saving Private Ryan-esque music used subversively. The 1970s dialogue and costumes are right on. If not for that, well, it could have been 2018.

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan makes some really special movies.  The unique ideas that he comes up with are always thrilling, mind blowing and thought provoking.  This is no exception.

Interstellar presents some really ambitious, out-there science fiction (in science fiction, you just have to roll with it).  Granted, some of the ideas are unbelievable, especially as you get further into the movie, but I feel like I followed it up to the last 20 minutes or so.  Without giving too much away, the story falls apart a bit at the conclusion.  Nonetheless, the film triumphs at integrating powerfully emotional scenes and human drama with a confusing and complex plot.  

On the creativity front, I was most impressed by the conception of the planets that they visit.  It's hard for us to imagine what the environment of other planets might be like, and Nolan shows us two interesting, well conceived theoretical planets.  The robots are not anthropomorphic, rather they are made up of four bars, that can arrange into different useful formations.  Perhaps the wackiest creative freedoms were taken in the physical representation of higher dimensions.

The visuals are stunning and are especially incredible in the IMAX 70mm format.  The visual effects, especially when in the emptiness of space, or in the unreal environments of the planets, or looking in a black hole or a worm hole, are breathtaking.

Hans Zimmer, as always, has composed a magnificently fitting score for the film.  With the backdrop of empty space, or the varied environments of the different planets, or the expansive corn fields on Earth marred by dust storms, Zimmer's score adapts and shines.

Interstellar features a star-studded cast, from frequent Nolan collaborator Michael Caine, to Hollywood's current it-man Matthew McConaughey.  McConaughey's character and dialogue resemble the soft philosophical ramblings that we've come to know him for in the Lincoln ads and True Detective. Anne Hathaway is also excellent, though she has way too much makeup for someone going to lonely outer space.  I appreciated the casting of Mackenzie Foy as a young Jessica Chastain.  The resemblance is uncanny and Foy proved to be a very capable young actress.

In summary, despite some problems with the plot and the science, Interstellar is a solid film that truly embodies the magic of the movies, featuring imagination, spectacle, and pure entertainment.