INTERSTELLAR Review

From the creative genius that is Christopher Nolan comes a sci-fi adventure that sets to change the way we view the genre. Like most I was introduced to Nolan’s work through his Dark Knight trilogy, though it is his other films that have really astonished. On the other hand I’m not a Matthew McConaughey fan, as though he may have been praised by critics for his recent performances (which I’ve not seen), his terribly past performances is still off putting. Naturally I was on the fence whilst going into this film, and having now seen it I kind of still am.

In the not too distant future humanity finds themselves in a state where living is a challenge in itself, as crops are affected by blight, and dust storms scourge the land. This has ultimately left humanity focused on sustaining crops, with the result meaning changes in career paths. This has caused former NASA test pilot and engineer, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) to become a farmer, living with his family; son Tom, daughter Murphy and father in law Donald (John Lithgow). Life however finds itself fit to give Cooper a chance at returning to the life he loved, as with the discovery of wormholes that lead to other galaxies, a team of scientists set out to find a new world to inhabit.

Over the years I have came to expect strange and unexpected ideas from Christopher Nolan, as along with brother Jonathan Nolan he has given us some of the most in depth scripts that the world of cinema has to offer. This is no different here, as though Interstellar fails to hit on all cylinders, there’s certainly some clever elements throughout. The most captivating amongst these is the utilisation of wormholes itself, with the use of relativity and time displacement allowing for a narrative that leaves you constantly thinking about what’s going on. On the other hand there are many parts of Interstellar that are just too predictable, with certain major developments being set-up a little too clearly in advance.

Having a stellar cast, Interstellar certainly didn’t lack on the acting department, with Matthew McConaughey himself proving that he’s no longer a terrible actor. Though I still felt that there was a lot of overacting from the lead, he also gave some emotionally driven performances. I did on the other hand feel that McConaughey struggled to carry the film on his own, as though his performance was generally consistent throughout, it wasn’t until the introduction of Michael Caine (Professor Brand) or Anne Hathaway (Amelia Brand) that he really proved his worth. Caine and Hathaway also gave brilliant performances in their own right, as though Caine felt like a forced addition (having appeared in every Nolan film since Batman Begins), he still managed to add some class to proceedings. Matt Damon (Dr. Mann) also made a brief, yet impressive appearance, with the more questionable developments surrounding his character kick-starting the intense finale of this film.

The fact that Interstellar manages to focus on character development on top of the overshadowing sci-fi elements also really resonates with this fanboy, as though I have always preferred spectacle when it comes to sci-fi, this is often ruined by the lack of the former. Though I personally will always regard John Williams as the best film composer, Hans Zimmer is definitely becoming the modern equivalent. His work on Interstellar did however leave me with mixed opinions, as though the score added a lot of depth to certain areas, there were times where it felt a little flat. One thing that I did like was the use of sound effects, or should I say the lack of, with the depiction of no noise in space adding an extra layer of realism.

Interstellar may be a little predictable at times, but that in no way means that it’s not worth the trip to your local cinema. Having some clever elements throughout, with great acting, Interstellar manages to give an emotionally driven look into a possible future, being captivating throughout. Recommended.