Interstellar is ambitious and well-crafted

In this reviewer’s opinion, one of the greatest tragedies of the last several years is the U.S. government’s virtual abandonment of its space program. De-funding it into oblivion, the government has converted the space shuttle from an instrument of astronomical exploration into a tourist-trapping, eye-catching monument.

The death of the space shuttle prompted the death of future rocket projects, American space travel and ultimately the sense of exploration that has long given space travel its wondrous appeal. While the American government continues to insist on keeping our attentions at home rather than the stars, director Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar dares to challenge this notion and asserts that our home can only be the stars.

Prominently starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain, Interstellar reestablishes the meaning of the Final Frontier in one of the most ambitious and splendidly crafted films released in years. Conceived from the joint efforts of scientists, special-effects masters, ace writers and acting giants, Nolan blends each element together to create a project that feels like the product of a grand sci-fi experiment.

Nevertheless, this film is one which truly carries itself best the less the audience knows in advance: through restricting any preliminary information, the audience is able to experience the surprise and wonder along with the characters.

In the interest of preserving this effect, I will give a recommendation before moving to the meat of the review. If you simply want a recommendation that explains whether this film is worth seeing or not, then here it is: yes, this film is absolutely worth your time. See it, and see it in IMAX. You will not leave disappointed. For those who wish to see the film with minimal information, stop reading here. For those interested in knowing a bit more, read on.

Interstellar takes place on a planet Earth at some undefined point in the future wherein the planet has degenerated into a global pseudo-dustbowl. Ravaged by dust storms, its crops systematically decimated by a famine-esque plague and its oxygen levels slowly depleting due to constantly increasing Nitrogen levels, humanity essentially waits to die. Enter McConaughey’s character, Cooper, a former NASA test pilot who, following some otherworldly advice (those who see the film will learn precisely what I mean), discovers a hidden NASA base, which is headed by his former college professor Band (Caine).

Learning that the base has discovered three potentially viable planets for human habitation, Cooper, with a crew of scientists (Hathaway, David Gyasi, Wes Bentley) travel to these planets through a wormhole. Their goal is to assess the planets and determine their potential for human resettlement. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Band and Cooper’s daughter, Murphy (Chastain), struggle with the issue of how it would even be possible to relocate Earth’s population, if given the chance.

While the idea of using space travel to save humanity from the apocalypse is hardly new territory for science fiction, never before has the story been portrayed in such a grand manner on screen. Aided by theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, Interstellar goes to great lengths to not only make its visuals and effects massive and awe-inspiring, but also completely within the realms of possibility. This astounding yet grounded approach is possibly the film’s greatest strength. Each environment, scenario and world feels perfectly plausible, which only makes actually witnessing them all the more breathtaking.

The effects themselves are some of the most gorgeous to be produced in years, and possibly the best created to date. To really get the full experience, it is almost imperative to see the film in IMAX. Audiences will do the film and themselves a disservice if they don’t see it in all its potential splendor.

Furthermore, the film’s characters and storytelling itself are, for the most part, excellently done. McConaughey gives an excellent performance as Cooper, portraying this potential savior of humanity as a perfectly believable everyman. Cooper appears deeply flawed — he struggles, often, with how to proceed with his mission in ways that are perfectly believable and sympathetic. Cooper is perfectly balanced by Hathaway’s character, also portrayed excellently.

Ironically enough, though, the real show-stealer is not a character in space, but one left behind on Earth: Cooper’s daughter Murphy, played to perfection by Jessica Chastain. Without giving much away, due to some space-time continuum issues encountered by Cooper and Company in space, audiences get to see Murphy not only grow up, but take on both her father’s and the world’s problems back on earth. Her performance and development are truly remarkable to behold.

That said, the film does suffer some slight problems in the storytelling department. While its attempts toward scientific accuracy accomplish a bolstering sense of awe and wonder, they also come at the detriment of the plot and pacing.

In numerous instances, the plot nearly comes to a halt as the film goes so far out of its way to explain exactly how and why a scene has occurred, detailing scientific principles behind it. While certainly enlightening, from the perspective of storytelling and plot progression, it breaks the flow rather jarringly.

This feels as though it was merely an attempt to assure its more scientifically minded viewers. It likely would have been better to forego some of these instances for the sake of entertainment, but it is an understandable decision, nonetheless. Viewers should expect the pacing to slow down to a plod in several places.

Additionally, the film does come off as rather heavy handed in dramatics. Usually, Nolan’s films don’t characteristically highlight happy characters and light scenarios as exemplified in previous works such as The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010). However, in Interstellar, there are simply no light moments to be found.

Again, while this is an understandable artistic decision, given the world in which the film is set, it does make the film slightly more difficult to digest. Combine this with an admittedly weak final act, and it’s clear that the film does suffer from some real issues; however, such issues are rather minor and do little to detract from the overall watchability of the film.

Grand and ambitious, Interstellar reaches for the stars and succeeds in pulling a piece of them down for us all to enjoy. Despite some slight storytelling issues, the film still manages to convey a plot that is explorative, desperate and heartwarming. All these elements are lathered in settings and effects-work sublime enough to make any jaw hit the floor. Go see this movie, as fast as you can. It will be time quite well spent.

You can get this full experience and see Interstellar playing at AMC Tysons Corner 16, the closest IMAX theater, which is located in Nottingham, Md.

Overall rating: 4/5