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Interstellar is not a perfect movie. I’ll give in to some of the “the dialogue is trite” critiques, though I cannot resist but mention that those complaints are ironically as overborne as the art they are targeted against, having been used to attack science fiction films from Star Wars to Avatar to Gravity. And some of the characters at times behave irrationally, most notably Jessica Chastain’s dismissal of her father at the end of the movie after a 70+ year wait, and the father’s easy acceptance of that dismissal.

But the score works (dramatic as it is), and the bravery and imagination of the director are unparalleled. The acting, while dramatic, is respectable and boasts more than a handful of past Oscar winners and nominees together amongst the cast. My own views aside, it does seem that the divisiveness the movie has caused will have its Oscar chances fade in the blink of a cosmic eye unless the critics resuscitate its chances.

Possible Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Sound Mixing

The Theory of Everything: A Little Bit of Everything, A Lot of Nothing

In a Best Actor race that currently features eight to ten credible candidates, few seem as close to a lock as Eddie Redmayne for his stunning portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything. Emotional yet cold, sweet yet distant, engaging while off-putting, Redmayne covers all the ranges with his up-curled lip and his piercing eyes while barely moving as he portrays the handicapped genius Hawking.

This movie could very well be one of the top contenders for the Best Picture Oscar in the coming months, as it features many of the characteristics our readers should by now expect of Oscar players: feel-good storylines, flawed but redemptive characters, inspiring results. The Theory of Everything is at times a companion piece to The Imitation Game, basking in its own sense of importance while imbuing the audience with a feeling of romanticism over young love, young passion, and young inspiration. In that sense, the movie is actually inspiring and heartbreaking. Overall, it is one of my favorite movies of this year.

But as an Oscar contender, it presents the perennially safe - and therefore banal - type of easy choice movie that knocks down more challenging cinema. But even more so than the Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything pays not a lot more than lip service to the fundamental contributions to humanity of its central hero and instead devolves into a glorified (if satisfying) love story. Exposition of Hawking’s accomplishments gives way to the complex love stories around the characters. Thus, although the acting does deserve the accolades it will receive, the movie is essentially inconsequential and will not go down in history as a landmark in cinema. Perhaps we should interpret that to mean it is assured of a Best Picture win.

Potential Nominations: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, Original Score, Costumes, Editing

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