Nolan Reaches for the Stars

Bold, beautiful and incredibly ambitious. Interstellar shows director and writer Christopher Nolan’s love for space.

Watching Interstellar reminded me of why I love sci-fi and brought me back to the glory days of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. But where Kubrick used music and art to incorporated his film, here Nolan used emotion and heart. Nolan’s filming and execution were done beautifully throughout this film. This is probably his most inspiring film to date. 2001 wasn’t the only film that inspired him; Alien, Blade Runner and Star Wars (1977) all played a part for his inspiration. Now, there’s no UFO’s or aliens from another planets here. Interstellar is simply mankind racing through the cosmos in order to save the human race. Haters are going to hate and what they are missing out on is how thought-provoking and graciously blended this film is. It’s also a visually splendor that captures the soul of our universe. Where Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity showed us the fears of space. Instead, Nolan showed us the search for hope in the cosmos. 

Shot in glorious IMAX 70 mm, Interstellar is a journey waiting to be ridden and a plot full of surprises, which I will not spoil. We are introduced to earth now as a mere Dust Bowl. In this near future, food and natural resources are at an all time low, while its citizens are starving and choking from this catastrophe. Nolan’s first act explores the American farm belt and introduces us to widower Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), former test pilot. Cooper lives with his father-in-law ( John Lithgow) who helps him raise his two kids, Tom (Timothée Chalamet) and Murphy (Mackenzie Foy, outstanding). Murph is a rebel and outsider just like her dad because she refuses to believe that the Apollo space landing was a lie. In act two, Cooper and Murph end up finding NASA, but only in smaller form. Here, Cooper meets his former boss Professor Brand (Michael Caine). Professor Brand convinces Cooper to help lead a mission to space in order to find a new world, the Lazarus missions, to colonizes on. Cooper agrees, leaving behind two kids who may never forgive him, but this is where our journey begins. 

On the Endurance, Cooper teams up with astronauts Amelia (Anne Hathaway), Brand’s daughter; Romilly (David Gyasi); and Doyle (Wes Bentley). Ex-military robots TARS (voiced by the great Bill Irwin) and CASE also join the crew. TARS and CASE pay homage to a HAL type figure from Kubrick’s 2001. This is where Nolan and his crew of specialist set in play the awe moments for the film. From traveling through black holes, to escaping waves the size of skyscrapers, to fighting on the icy scopes of the tundra. Movie lovers alike will simply applauded Nolan and his vision. But this vision couldn’t have been completed without the help of his brother and co-writer Jonathan Nolan, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, VFX supervisor Paul J. Franklin and Hans Zimmer’s exhilarating score. They all played a part in getting Interstellar to take flight. The thing that I loved most about this film is how realistic is truly was. Like in 2001, Nolan completely silenced anything out in space and incorporates music with it. This gives the film a since of realism and wonder. 

Next on the list are black holes, wormholes and the space-time continuum. The final act of the film shows Cooper coming to the realization that his two years in space are 23 years on earth. Cooper watches decades of video messages pour out in front of him from his children now adults (Casey Affleck and Jessica Chastain). McConaughey is incredibly moving in this scene and completely breaks down. His performance is raw and will hit you hard in the heart. McConaughey has been on fire over the last couple of years with his tour de force performances in Killer Joe, Mud, Dallas Buyers Club, True Detective, The Wolf of Wall Street and now Interstellar. 

This heartbreaking performance from him will deeply sadden you as you see time with his children slip away in seconds. Chastain and Hathaway also give award worthy roles as a daughter anxious to see her long lost dad again and another daughter wanting to accomplish something for her father. Although, at times, the film’s intellect exceed its grasp Nolan always makes you think. Interstellar is never the less visually moving and breathes life into future sci-fi films. In the end, Interstellar is a must-take ride. So join the crew and explore the cosmos through space and time.