Not a masterpiece, but not so trite as some people would have you believe.

Rating: 8/10 (29 November 2014)

My opinions on Nolan's films need refreshing. Before I undertook this cosmic voyage the other night, I hadn't experienced any work of his since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, which is in retrospect a turgid and self-important affair. I understand that many probably appreciate him for his abilities in forming a sort of marriage between grandiose and exhilarating blockbuster spectacle and quieter, experimental sensibilities, but in the vast library of cinema he hasn't really attracted me, and I make this point clear because perhaps in reviewing this film I lack the insight into his body of work to make interesting distinctions and fully appreciate what he is doing here. As it stands on its own terms it is a thoroughly engaging piece of cinema. And more.wholesome than Inception.
We begin small in setting, big in thematic possibilities. The world is dying, and has regressed into a failing crop society, which our intrepid protagonist Coop (Matthew McConaughey) is a part of. He's the humble but ambitious mid-western Dad, living on a farm with his Nuclear family. This isn't anything we haven't seen before; they're a functioning unit held together by the love and will of Hero Dad, the every-man who although relatable and ostensibly normal, we know is going to be far more talented and auspicious than any of us could ever hope to be. Will he be the saviour of man-kind? Who knows? What's important is McConaughey is unsurprisingly excellent here, with all the rustic charm we could want. As derivative and by-the-numbers sentimental as this film gets, it's never tiresome, simply because it is done so well, as evinced in the first hour and the final minutes of the film, which are work despite their Hollywood convictions.
It's quiet and familial at first, and there's a nice dawning sense of adventure contrasting with the eerie Dust Bowl wilderness that society is becoming, which is seemingly already post-apocalyptic, having settled into this new reality, where for example people's roles in society are determined for them based on their qualities, and so there a pre-established categories waiting to be filled, quite a dystopic idea. But this film isn't dystopian. It's too warm and optimistic, and for every portentous philosophical pondering that inhabits the script – "We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt" – there's the saccharine elements, like the films (particularly in the form of the wizened contemplative Michael Caine) constant quoting of Dylan Thomas' 'Do not go Gentle into that good night' which becomes some sort of mantra for humanity's perseverance in the depths of universal darkness.
When the film does begin its space-faring quest, it is a spectacle and an excitement that is unparalleled in current blockbusters. Seeing the detail of the ship against the vast background of space, peering through the windows at the distant earth, and eventually journeying into the wondrous unknown of new planets is something profound in itself, and perhaps Nolan should have taken a note from Kubrick and relied more on the power of these visuals to communicate ideas rather than resorting to platitudes and tiring exposition. There are of course going to be comparisons to 2001, but the similarities are only superficial and the tone of each film strikingly different. The film bears a little more resemblance to Close Encounters of a Third Kind, in that familial life is interrupted by cosmic events, particularly in the father who is torn between the domestic and the wider possibilities of existence. Even that is only a passing resemblance, and there are probably far more influences and connections I'm not aware of.
Speaking of the expository, too much of it is used during moments on the ship when the characters could be developing and acting like people with the weight of humanity on their shoulders. Wes Bentley, an actor whom I love but have tragically seen very little of, is unfortunately an example of this, his character just a tool for the explanatory, and so is wasted. Anne Hathaway is Anne Hathaway the Astronaut, dressing up in all the gear and wearing a different name, yet still the same person. Although though mentioning only her would be far too selective, as almost every actor is just the recognizable face working within the confines of the script. A special mention should be given to Mackenzie Foy, Coop's 10 year old daughter who gives a poignant performance.
So, this film isn't subtle, but it is an enthralling journey. There are smaller touches I appreciated, like the sound bridge of the T Minus Countdown linking the scenes of McConaughey reluctantly (McConaughey probably cries more than he does than in all his other films collectively, and boy is it an affecting sight) leaving his family behind and the ship taking off from Earth; the immediacy of this making his decision all the more emotional, but ultimately the film excels during its space exploration, a time when, like 2001, it is the definition of awesome.