The latest offering from the Nolan brothers – Jonathan and Christopher who co-wrote the script with the latter also directing – Interstellar. I am going to start this review by saying this film demands a second viewing. It is impossible to say whether this film is a modern masterpiece earning its’ place amongst the stars or a black hole that leaves the viewer lost in space.
The film starts with Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, a former space pilot now farmer on a futuristic earth that is in the final stages of death – terrible climate change, lack of food, hunger and disease ridden. Here we have the first of many messages from the Nolan brothers – we have to keep exploring. Thus our hero stumbles across NASA which has now been driven underground as transparent public spending on a space programme would have been frowned upon. Even the school is rewriting space history by saying space travel was just propaganda – people are resigned to dying. The second act, after discovering NASA, Cooper is asked by Dr Brand, played by Michael Caine to pilot the space ship to see whether the bravest human beings, 10 or so who were previously sent into space, have in fact found planets to support human life form. He is accompanied by Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley and David Gyasi.
What is brilliant is the use of sound when we leave earth and enter space there is no sound or music, the soundtrack is provided by Hans Zimmer – we too feel weightlessness and the silence that space has to offer. The CGI imagery is astounding as well. Entering the wormhole is astonishing feast for the eyes. I liked the little nod to Star Wars with TARS and CASE as robots with the sarcasm of C-3PO. Jessica Chastain who plays Murphy, the adult daughter of Cooper, is luminous on screen and is crucial in tempering what could have turned into a melodramatic mess at moments during the film.
What is wrong with the movie – some of the messages are lathered on so thickly such as: duty before person desire, does love know no bounds and the human survival instinct yet the Nolan brothers assume that all viewers have a keen grasp of quantum physics, relativity, time dimensions and gravity. The latter I thought I knew what it was but this film just left me confused.
All there is to say is time is relative so if you have 2 hours 45 minutes and are feeling alert then go and see this film. If you are in any way tired or not feeling on top form then forget it as it is a film that commands and demands your attention if you want to avoid feeling lost in space.
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Wing-Yang Chan 10th November 2014
Having seen the trailer your review pretty much confirms all my suspicions about the film.
Jo Hutchinson 11th November 2014
very helpful review, it’s nice to know, if you need to be alert to follow a film.