Interstellar-2014
Director Christopher Nolan
Starring Matthew McConaughey
Scott’s Review #277
Reviewed September 25, 2015
Grade: B-
Interstellar (2014) is an interesting film to review.
It’s a science-fiction/futuristic epic with a run time of nearly three hours, and it’s complex and intricate.
It is the latest offering by director Christopher Nolan.
I cannot say I loved the film; however, I did appreciate and marvel at its visual and technical aspects, which completely overshadow the convoluted plot, which is difficult to follow because it jumps between worlds and galaxies.
The film reminds me of Inception (2010), with an obvious homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the latter directed by Nolan, but it’s not quite as compelling from a story point of view as Inception.
The complexities of different entities, worlds, and layers of worlds are featured and, admittedly, mind-blowing, which is the weak part of the film.
Making the film arguably too intelligent, it loses the audience’s attention.
By too intelligent, I mean too complex. As I review the film, I see two halves-the story side and the visual side. In Interstellar, both are essential components, and one fails while the other marvels.
The story goes something like this.
Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a widowed, former space expert stuck in a small town in the Midwest, where he begrudgingly runs a farm, living out an unsatisfying existence.
The Earth’s food and crops are slowly running out, and the planet is dying. His two children, daughter Murphy and son Tom, face a bleak world.
One day, a dust pattern with coordinates leads Cooper and Murphy to a secret NASA team intent on finding other worlds and attempting to save Earth.
Dr. Brand, a college professor and science wizard, leads the team, played by Michael Caine.
Cooper, naturally, is chosen to lead the venture, which could take him away from his family for years. He accepts, much to Murphy’s chagrin.
Once in outer space- assisted by Amelia Brand (Dr. Brand’s daughter)- the team embarks on an endless mission leading them to different planets and one strange encounter with a rebel astronaut (played wastefully by Matt Damon).
Years later (on Earth, anyway), Murphy and Tom (now grown and played by Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck) assume their father Cooper is dead.
Critically, the story is way too much to comprehend. I let go of the story instead of focusing on the visual spectacle I was treated to.
The plot eventually meanders off track as the team traverses through a space wormhole created by an alien intelligence and travels fifty years without aging.
Life has gone on on planet Earth. Some characters age, others do not.
To summarize, the story is convoluted and impossible to follow.
Speaking of the story side of Interstellar, the writing contains an irritating wholesomeness, especially in the early stages- pre-outer space.
McConaughey was given this tough, machismo side to him that screams of Hollywood traditionalism- almost like “I am a man- I save the family”. Haven’t we seen this too many times in film?
I also found the relationship between Cooper and his young daughter, Murphy, incredibly saccharine and screaming Hollywood schmaltz.
McConaughey was given and succeeded in delivering one great crying scene.
Interstellar’s visuals are a spectacle and far better than the story, especially in the final third of the film.
The sheer grandeur is astounding. When the crew lands on Miller’s planet, an ocean world, a great tidal wave topples their spaceship, killing one of the team.
The tidal wave looks monumental in size and ferocity. Later, when the crew lands on an icy planet, the immense cold and the planet’s shape work perfectly, and it feels like they are in outer space.
The scene where Cooper attempts to contact a character through a bookshelf is inventive and creative. The scene is set up like a maze with different periods, colors, and shapes; the way it blends them is impressive and artistic.
Visually, Interstellar has similarities to the 1968 epic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Its grandiose, artistic, experimental, and epic style, along with the obvious space theme, makes the two films comparable.
However, while 2001: A Space Odyssey is about life and carries a clear, powerful message, I didn’t find the same in Interstellar. Instead, I did not find a message, only a confusing story, mixed with spectacular visuals.
Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects (won)
