DVD Movie Review - Interstellar

The Nolan brothers return for a remarkable story about space travel, love, family, and the lengths humans will go to keep our race alive.

STORY:

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is an ex-pilot for NASA that spends his days farming.  The Earth is slowly dying and the only food that exists now is corn, putting the human race in peril.  Cooper struggles with each day, because he wants what is best for his family, but also wants something more out of life.  So when his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) discovers an anomaly, Cooper can't help but get involved.  And what he discovers may change the future of the human race forever.  Gravity, black holes, superb acting, falling sand, book shelves, love, and family bonds ensue.

"I'm just saying, I know who the Batman is...I know."

THOUGHTS:

Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, know how to tell a story.  They never hold the audience's hand and they never reveal all their cards up front.  They give you bits and pieces of the whole picture as the film moves along.  It keeps the audience glued to their seat in anticipation and it builds suspense throughout.  These are the traits of great storytellers and luckily they're still putting out movies for the world to enjoy.

If you go into Interstellar knowing nothing about the film, there are a few key points that might make some movie-goers veer away from this story.  First off, this is a Sci-Fi film that's set in a somewhat near future.  So you're going to get space travel; conversations about black holes; confusing time loops; weird planets; talking robots with a sense of humor; big words; and a story that's grounded, yet still farfetched.  But all this is evened out by a main plot that revolves around Cooper and his family.  The question he faces is how far would he go to save his family?  To save his children?  And this is what makes Interstellar so compelling.  Yes, it has fantastic sets and amazing visuals that will make your eyes fall out of your head, but it also has a ton of heart.  This is more a film about a father’s love for his children than anything else.  So if you're okay with all of the above and are prepared to pay extra special attention to everything that is going on in the story, then you will love Interstellar.  If anything about the above turns you off, then it's probably best to avoid the movie or wait until it pops up for free on cable.  There's even a simpler way to put it: if you liked all the puzzles and mystery behind Inception, then you'll enjoy this film, because the same kind of twists are present here too.

"Yeah, we had something similar back in the 80's, they were called cassettes.  What kind of 

watts does this baby pump out?"

THE ACTING:

One word: fantastic.  And not just from Matthew McConaughey—even though he's practically the entire movie—but from the whole cast.  As per usual, Nolan knows how to direct his actors/actresses and it shows from the first scene all the way to the last.  The story takes McConaughey on an emotional roller coaster, and if you've seen his acting in True Detective or any of his more recent films, like Mud, then you know he can handle whatever the script can throw at him.  From excited, to sad, to depressed, to smooth, every scene is delivered to perfection.  Now, even though her part might not be as big as some of the other supporting roles, the young Mackenzie Foy (Murph, Cooper's daughter) is absolutely amazing too.  Her ability can be summed up in one scene: her father is leaving and she doesn't want him to go.  Her talent in this short scene is tremendous and proves that great acting can be found at any age.

Anne Hathaway plays Brand, another astronaut tasked with ensuring the existence of the human race.  Her role doesn't require many different levels of emotion, but she does fit the personality of a scientist quite well.  Brand's father, Professor Brand, played by Michael Caine is another perfect casting choice.  He has his moment in the sun later on, just like the emotional scene in The Dark Knight Rises.  Casey Affleck and Jessica Chastain both assume the older versions of Cooper's children later in the movie and both do an extremely well job of showing the longing of needing a father. And finally, John Lithgow pops up to dish out wisdom, while Matt Damon appears in the film to up the suspense towards the end.

"Listen, I'm not joking.  I've solved math problems as a janitor...this Astronaut crap is a 

walk in the park."

WHY YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT:

The Sci-Fi aspect of the film is one reason you may be turned off from the movie, but if you like space travel and screwy time loops, there may…may be another reason why you find the film hard to swallow.  The ending, like all films that deal with alternate realities and time shifts and the such, may present you with a plot hole if you look deep enough into the story time line and the events leading up to the ending.  Some people will be able to forgive this plot hole and just enjoy the amazing story unfolding, while others will bang their head against the wall because the ending might not exactly work.  If you've watched other films that have had time loops and slight plot holes and were fine with their endings, then this won't bother you at all.  If dissecting a film with a magnifying glass and a chalkboard is your thing, then you might have a smidgen of a problem by the end.

"I just have this funny feeling that getting in these tubes is how we end up with an alien 

bursting out of our chest."

CONCLUSION:

Interstellar is a magnificent addition to the Great Wall of Nolan.  The film carries the emotionally weight you're expecting, the visuals you're craving, and the superb acting that every movie needs.  You'll be blown away by the special effects and have your heart strings plucked by the touching story about family.  Now, if you found Inception to be a hot turd that did nothing but confuse you, then it's probably best not to spend any money on this film.  But if you love Sci-Fi and love the past work of the Nolan brothers, then this movie is a no-brainer.  Interstellar delivers on every level you've come to expect by Nolan…and then some.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (minus ½ star for slight plot hole)