Nov 7, 2014

"Interstellar" Review

Interstellar

5 out of 5 stars

Family appropriateness rating 4 out of 5 stars
Rated PG-13
-Mild amount of language including one instance of the f-word
-Mild amount of violence










Writer/director Christopher Nolan once again delivers a thought-provoking story with deep, heavy dialogue with his new sci-fi flick, "Interstellar."

It is the near future, and the earth is becoming more uninhabitable every day. It is ridden with dust storms and crop infestations, causing farmers to burn parts of their fields. Because of this, NASA is looking for a planet suitable for everyone to live.

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a skilled pilot and engineer, is asked to go on a mission with a group of astronauts to find out which planet in a distant galaxy has the best conditions for humanity to survive.

"Interstellar" is more than just a space adventure, it is about a father wanting to see his daughter again. Everyone involved does a great job, but McConaughey delivers an especially powerful performance. His character is likable, and his emotions are so real that you want to see him succeed.

Nolan is one of my favorite directors. His films are sometimes twisty, and when they are not, they have thought-provoking themes. Even his comic book movies, "The Dark Knight Trilogy," provided a lot to think about in terms of morality.

This film is no different. It deals with time and space, which in itself is mind boggling. I was expecting my mind to be blown purely because of that. Nolan adds a couple other elements to think about as well including where the human race is going, how we can help our species survive and whether love is an evolutionary trait we adapted or a complex emotion that cannot be explained. A lot of this comes from the dialogue, which is often very deep.

At the hands of a less experienced director, this film could have been boring. The runtime is almost three hours, and a big part of it is set on earth before the space adventure starts. Thanks to Nolan's direction, every bit of this movie is interesting. He does a great job establishing the state of the earth so even those scenes will not put you to sleep. It is such a well-paced film that the run-time does not seem that long.

The cinematography is excellent. Many incredible shots show the beauty of space, and there are a lot of wide shots to show how lonely the characters are on their mission.

This film has been getting mixed reviews, and I can see why. It is not perfect. Some of the dialogue is forced, and some of the situations are a little convenient. However, everything that makes it great make up for these weaknesses.

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