What a beautiful film.
Interstellar goes back to the roots of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, a blockbuster film which requires both rationale and focus. Interstellar takes it one step further by removing most action in exchange for an increase in audience-brain participation. To make clear, Interstellar doesn't require intellectual knowledge on its subject, but rather necessitates attention and an open-mind; not simply for plot and dialogue, but for its unexpected (yet far from boring) amount of calm and steadiness. Interstellar is a rare occasion in modern blockbuster cinema, one which tests patience and rewards effort not with explosions or action sequences (though it has variations of those), but with existential philosophies and theories, an array of top-notch performances, and an atmospheric cinema full of breathtaking sights and sound.
In a strangely obscure yet exposition-y opening (overflowing exposition seems to be a theme as of late), Interstellar begins sometime in the future where Earth has become one large dust bowl. Dust storms have destroyed most of Earth’s food supply while farmers have moved to the top of business, providing humanity with the remaining farmable crops (in which case has become solely corn). One such farmer, former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) soon discovers his daughter’s (Mackenzie Foy) bedroom is possessed by an unknown gravitational intelligence, who (through Morse code) sends coordinates to a secret NASA operation run by a former colleague of his John Brand (Michael Caine). Brand reveals the operation to be government-run after discovering a wormhole (also made by unknown intelligence) leading to a new galaxy possibly occupied with several habitable planets. The plot refreshingly jumps into gear as Brand convinces Cooper to pilot an expedition through the wormhole in hopes of finding a new world for humanity to live on. Cooper agrees, and alongside physicist Romilly (David Gyasi), geographer Doyle (Wes Bently), robots TARS (Bill Irwin) and CASE (Josh Stewart), and Brand’s own daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway) set off into space and time through interstellar travel.
Interstellar’s plot would hardly be as effective without two major aspects: character and cinematography. The setting is its most striking feature, with an ever-changing situation consistently bringing new and refreshing places to amaze. Anyone who’s seen 2001: A Space Odyssey will instantaneously make a connection with Interstellar’s space sequences; which is only increased in similarity thanks to its deafening yet lovely music, encompassing an enlightening sound which serves to increase the wonders presented. Scenes where the spaceship gradually leaves Earth into the dark abyss, or silently passes the giant rings of Saturn is nothing short of breathtakingly wondrous (particularly when seen in IMAX). My favorite space scene involves the spaceship traveling through the wormhole; the scene parallels the ending from 2001 to the point where one might claim plagiarism, though there’s enough differences to preferably be called a homage. Here it removes the vast amount of colors in exchange for a looping, roller-coaster sensation, creating an equally as spellbinding scene to watch.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! In addition to the space sequences, the film travels to an array of different places full of fascinating new elements to view. There’s an arctic ice world where even the clouds are frozen, and a water world where waves higher than skyscrapers consistently travel round the planet. The waves are an amazing sight to view (blotting out the entire sky), with the film doing a stellar job in showcasing how intense and terrifying they’d truly be. In addition to the waves, the water world is close enough to a large black-hole (rightfully named Gargantua) that its time becomes distorted, making one hour on its planet equal to seven years on Earth. Time spent on the planet becomes much more intense for both characters and viewers, with the end result being several emotionally powerful scenes.
Character wise, Interstellar highlights in its main star McConaughey, who’s had so many fantastic performances this decade it’s no longer necessary to prove his greatness. His performance is powerful and emotionally touching, going hand-to-hand with his father-daughter relationship which blooms and intensifies as the film advances. Cooper’s relationship with his children, and the sacrifices made to save them feels genuine; (SPOILERS START) take for example when Cooper returns to his ship after staying on the water planet for several hours (over 23 years on Earth). What results is a heartbreaking scene where Cooper watches recordings of children growing up in the blink of an eye, until they've become as old as him (resulting in a surprise appearance from Jessica Chastain as Cooper’s adult daughter). (SPOILERS END)
Surprisingly (though in hindsight, quite foreseeable) it’s the robot TARS who makes the next biggest impression. TARS’ design is deceptively unique, being several large rectangles which can extend into smaller blocks to move and function with surprising flexibility; having similarities to a hybrid between HAL and the Monoliths from 2001. Unlike HAL however, TARS has an essentially human personality, with Irwin’s humor and wit being the majority of the film’s comedic relief. Another unexpected treat is the amount of surprise actors appearing throughout the film. Kudos to the marketing team for keeping its trailer showcasing down to primarily McConaughey. I wasn't even aware Caine and Hathaway were in the film, let alone the A-list (and B-list) actors who suddenly appear around two-thirds into the film. Having these characters show out of the blue while delivering solid performances was an exciting addition to an already engrossing film.
I admittedly had doubts about Nolan’s directorial power after seeing his help with Man of Steel (the fact Interstellar began on a farm with shaky-cam was worrying to say the least), yet Interstellar took such doubt, tossed it out the window and rocketed it into space. The film is a spectacle to watch and an emotional treat to hear; taking inspiration from 2001 while focusing more on individual characters. The result is effective and highly enjoyable, though admittedly it’s confusing to follow and at times confounding to grasp…yet is such complexity a bad thing? Even those who loved 2001 on their first viewing left confused about certain event, bringing forth discussion and reviews trying to understand not just plot, but philosophy as well. Some made their own conclusions while others remained satisfyingly (or unpleasantly) baffled; the same can apply to many of Nolan’s films, in particular Interstellar. Some left confused yet enjoyably satisfied to view-and-not-ask-questions, while others left frustrated, bored and/or angry by the film's production; then there are those (such as myself) who couldn't grasp everything yet came up with their own reasoning and research. None of these results are necessarily wrong or right, simply viewpoints and opinions on a perplexing blockbuster which causes people to think and question; and whatever your opinion, a film which causes one to use their noggin has to be doing something right.
