INTERSTELLAR: Flawed but Magnificent Space Epic

I'm going to give a wildly contradictory statement: Interstellar is not one of Christopher Nolan's best films but you should absolutely go see it in theaters (in IMAX if you can bear it). The issues I have with the intergalactic melodrama don't undermine the visual beauty or hard effort behind the film. The spectacle of the film is betrayed, however, by an emotional throughline that does not capture the imagination as well as the film's technical achievements.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Mackenzie Foy and Michael Caine, Interstellar is the 9th feature film from Nolan and his followup to The Dark Knight Rises. Written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, the film features stunning cinematography by Hoyt Van Hoytema (Her), wonderful music by Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave) and crisp editing by Lee Smith (The Dark Knight),

Cooper (McConaughey) is a farmer in the not-so distant future where a series of blights have destroyed the crops one by one and Earthlings are in danger of facing starvation and lack of oxygen. A series of gravitational anomalies lead Cooper and his daughter Murph (Foy, later played by Chastain) to an underground NASA facility. There, Coop's old professor Dr Brand (Caine) and his daughter Dr. Amelia Brand (Hathaway) convince Coop to join a dangerous space mission through a wormhole near Saturn with the hope of finding a new planet for humanity to escape Earth and survive.

Look, there's a lot of science in this film. And for the most part it looks like Nolan has done his research, basing the film on the theoretical research by astrophysicist Kip Thorne (who serves as executive producer). Knowing nothing about the science of the film gives it a sense of romantic wonder. Wormholes, black holes, different galaxies, time travel, theory of relativity--it's all so bizarre and cool that I'll take what they give me.

What I like about the film is that it very clearly sets up this version of the future. It's a dark, anti-intellectualist, survivalist world but not without hope. Nolan sets up these terrific shots of dusty fields and dark houses. It's a swell contrast to the scenes of space travel where everything is beautiful and full of promise. Interstellar has got to be one of the most visually impressive films in the Nolan filmography (giving stiff competition to the serenely gorgeous Inception). I think Nolan achieves a good balance of the grim present and hopeful future.

 What I don't like about the movie is that its themes are a bit more impressive than what actually happens on screen. I don't mean the film is boring--it is engaging and impressive during its 169 minutes. There are just some turns the story takes, including a Surprise A-List Actor Cameo which seems like a manufactured twist). At a certain point with the Surprise A-List Actor Cameo, I did have to ask myself "why is this happening? Why did Nolan choose to add this?" This portion of the film feels a little inorganic and frankly a little too ordinary for a movie of this artistic, visual caliber.

One of the major themes of the film is the power of love. Now your mileage may vary on whether or not this is cheesy or powerful. I can see both sides to the debate. On one hand, the bond between Cooper and Murph is very emotionally resonant (it's hard not to feel something when Mackenzie Foy is crying in closeup on an IMAX 70MM Film screen). The father/daughter love story is extremely effective and the thread becomes intensified when Jessica Chastain takes over the Murph role.

On the other hand, Dr. Amelia Brand makes a speech midway or 2 hours into the film about following your heart because love is the only force that transcends time and space. It's a nice sentiment and unsurprisingly Hathaway hits a home run in her delivery. But I couldn't help rolling my eyes. Because of course it's a woman who wants to make decisions based on her heart (and of course Dr. Brand is the only woman on the mission).

If Dr. Brand had a deeper characterization, then this monologue would would be an excellent way to round out the character. But since it's the only example of an inner life, it feels like cheap, lazy writing. There's a difference between exploring a love that transcends time and space (like between Coop and Murph) and just talking about it (like with Dr. Brand and the mysterious references to an Edmond).

Christopher Nolan is very lucky that he attracts such great actors. McConaughey, Chastain and Hathaway lead the cast with confidence. McConaughey gives one his most emotional performances and Chastain imbues Murph with her usual intelligence and determination. Hathaway elevates her somewhat weak material. Michael Caine delivers exposition like it's Shakespeare. I really liked the work of Foy, Casey Affleck and John Lithgow as well.

This is the kind of science fiction/space epic that Hollywood should be making again: futuristic but not totally implausible, personal and heartfelt. I can't say I love it; my heart belongs to Inception and Inception only. This could change on subsequent viewings of course. Generally, I have a hard time criticizing a movie like this because so much effort, money and time went into it. You've got to hand it to Christopher Nolan. In an era where Hollywood is obsessed with franchises, he can still make a wholly original blockbuster when he wants to.

So basically, go find the biggest screen possible and enjoy the pure cinematic wonder of Interstellar.

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