If there's one movie I was most looking
forward to seeing this year, it was “Interstellar.”
With a story shrouded in mystery,
ambitious visual effects, directed by an acclaimed director and
starred by top flight cast, it's one of the most anticipated movies
of 2014. Attending the panel at Comic-Con with director
Christopher Nolan (“Memento, “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”) and star Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers
Club,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”) this summer only
skyrocketed the expectations.
Earth is on life support, on the edge
of extinction. Cooper (McConaughey), a former astronaut, is now a
farmer, working the corn fields. Overexploitation in the 20th
century has led into earth's rapid deterioration. It's functioning
at the most basic level; food, water and shelter. But there's no
such thing as dreams for a better life. Cooper lives in a humble
abode in the field, often engulfed in dust storms, with his two kids,
Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom (Timothee Chalamet), and his father
(John Litgow).
When called by Professor Brand (Michael
Caine, "Inception," “The Dark Knight” trilogy) from NASA, Cooper
returns to his calling for a journey to the unknown. A wormhole has
been found, which may be the key to find another place in space for
humanity. Cooper's departure is not without sacrifice. It's
gut-wrenching to leave everything behind, especially saying goodbye to
his daughter, not knowing how long his intergalactic travel will be.
He promises his daughter that he will back, not knowing the full
picture.
Cooper blasts into space in Endurance
spacecraft, with the professor's daughter, Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne
Hathaway, “Les Miserables,” “The Dark Knight Rises”),
along with a couple other crew members and two robots. The robots
are great supporting characters, providing lighter moments in their
interactions with the humans. Midway through the voyage, they're
joined by another character, whose surprising appearance contributes
to one of the most intense sequences in the movie.
Time is truly of the essence. Every
decision must be thought out thoroughly and calculated carefully.
Once they surpass the wormhole, they must choose which planets to
land on, survey and gather data. There's a strong sense of scarcity.
Time is a precariously precious resource, not just fuel or oxygen.
In one planet, an hour translates to seven years on earth. One
mistake could cost them decades and humans' extinction. Further,
there's never any certainty in how far time or dimension would get
distorted. And unknown, foreign landscapes can transform a mild
exploration into a harrowing moment.
“Interstellar” is a duel of
philosophies, one for being human and feeling connected to our loved
ones and our generation, and the other obligations to reach higher
and do something greater for the future survival of mankind. And at
the heart of it, wholeheartedly acted, an emotional tale between
father and daughter (Jessica Chastain as adult Murph) that transcends
time and space.
The visuals are vast and victorious.
Majestically framed and filmed, they invoke a sense of awe,
reminiscent of last year's award-winning “Gravity.” Spinning and floating space station against the dark starry skies,
shining spheres, kaleidoscope of cosmic colors and lights, mountain of tidal
waves, sea of clouds, jagged ice tundra. The score (Hans Zimmer,
“Inception,” “The Dark Knight”) impeccably
underscores tense moments peaking with crescendo and cutting
into silence.
The film is not without flaws. The
running time of nearly three hours and verbose dialogue on quantum
physics, gravity and relativity can be toned down without impacting
the story. In real life, they don't withstand scrutiny anyway. But
in this universe, it's believable enough in its plausibility.
“Interstellar” is imperfectly
perfect in its stellar storytelling, simplicity of the plot and
complicated details. A celestial tapestry of space exploration, time
bender and heartfelt human story, it earns its place among the stars.