4 ½ STARS
“We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars… now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”
Set in a no-so-distant future, time on Earth is coming to an end. Food supplies dwindling and resources disappearing, former engineer and widower Cooper (Matthew Mcconaughey) and a team of explorers are sent on a mission to another galaxy with one goal; to save humanity a new home.
In true Hollywood blockbuster style, this is a film that encompasses a bit of everything. Action, love, humour, drama, intellect – you name it and Interstellar will have covered it. As would be expected from such an A –list heavy film, the acting is on point, with Matthew Mcconaughey portraying the character of Cooper, a man frustrated with his life on Earth, yet devoted to his two children, perfectly. The scenes between Cooper and his young daughter Murph are particularly poignant, especially the scene of their farewell, where the young actress Mackenzie Foy bring a tear to the eye with the emotion she puts into her performance. Although a film set in space, these scenes anchor the film in humanity and love, without which the film just wouldn’t work.
Anne Hathaway also give a great performance in her supporting role of Brand, though her character could have been slightly more developed. Other stars in the film include Matt Damon, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain so prepare yourself for great acting all round, just one of the many reasons you should see this movie.
Anther crucial element of this film is the mind blowing visuals of space. Mind bending worm-holes, epic visuals of fantasy planets and the lonely haunting image of Earth’s last spacecraft, the whole film is a decadent feast for the eyes, especially for those with a specific interest in sci-fi.
While Interstellar is a very long film coming in at about 2 hours 30 minutes, I feel that unlike many excruciatingly long Hollywood blockbusters (yes Avatar I’m talking about you), this film both deserves and needs the length. The premise of the film is simple but the plot is complex and intelligent and keeps the audience engaged throughout. While some of the science (real and imaginary) concerning time and gravity admittedly went straight over my head, it was extremely interesting, though at times what with the loud dramatic score and Mcconaghey’s soft extremely Southern lilt, the dialogue was sometimes lost on me completely. Be warned – this is not a film you can snooze to!
As cited in the film, Murphy’s Law tells us what can happen, will happen. On viewing Interstellar I can certainly say that this is the case. A film that can and will surprise you and goes further than other films that have come before it, Interstellar is certainly not one to miss.
Edited by Mackenzie Orrock
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