USA 2014
Starts November 6, 2014
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Writing credits: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Wes Bentley, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Elyes Gabel, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Topher Grace, Casey Affleck, David Gyasi, Ellen Burstyn, William Devane
Length: 169 minutes
Director Christopher Nolan (Insomnia) delves in to time's relativity, gravity, and the universe, making every 169-minute count in this sci-fi drama. Exploration and adventure have been replaced by survival; engineering is out, farming is in. Nevertheless, Cooper (McConaughey) cannot let go. Taking a detour on their way to school, Tom (Timothée Chalamet)—earmarked to farm—drives as they chase a drone; Cooper uses the parts to repair combines. Conversely, adolescent Murph’s (Mackenzie Foy) focus is on science, a poltergeist in her bedroom, and the special bond with her father. Then Cooper decides to checkout some coordinates; the end of the road is the past, and the future. TARS (Bill Irwin voice) deliver him to an interrogative group; the Doctors Brand (Caine and Hathaway) explains Plan A and B. Cooper’s intrigued: an interstellar voyage exploring beyond our solar system to save humanity. At this point, the space-time continuum is a moot concept. “Look after my kids, Donald (Lithgow).” Hence, trusts, earned respect, the depths of love, and forgiveness seems equally significant to one’s freedom.
Shifting between present, future and past presents a complexity that taunts audiences’ concept of reality. Boosted by the production team’s galactic and earthbound interpretation: Hoyte Van Hoytema’s Cinematography, Nathan Crowley’s Production Design, Gary Fettis’s Set Decoration, the Art Direction team under Dean Wolcott, and the many special effect artists. Editor Lee Smith deserves special kudos for keeping us on course; too bad the sound design and music are not ingenious. Let your imagination run wild probing hypotheses: if we are in 3-dimensional space, is there a fifth-dimension? Inhabited by…? Is it possible to become trapped between parallel universes? Regardless, “see you on the other side.” ()
As a SciFci fan and closet string theory proponent, I was excited when I saw that the film of the month was Interstellar. I mean spaceships, teseracts and awesome waves were all on offer. Not to mention an actor who has just gotten better with age, Matthew McConaughey. Plus Anne Hathaway has been known to deliver and Jessica Chastain as a plucky heroine, I was in! The good news is that Interstellar delivers; the bad news is that it just keeps delivering, and delivering…
Matt is a farmer with a past and a brilliant daughter (his son, ignored and vilified for no apparent reason). Matt’s past as an astronaut, however, haunts him and before we know it, serendipity and some great books, lead him back to the stars. BTW – I do want a chance to see that library in detail… Stephen King’s The Stand first edition makes several appearances.
The cinematography, artistic design and look of the film were wonderful - truly world-building at its best and any awards are well deserved. The film, however, overall felt ham handed. Characters felt flat and there was way too much of the “Love Transcends Time and Space” theme. While I am a believer that this is true, I do not need to see it happen over and over.