Beautiful, Touching, Shocking, Thought-provoking

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2014)

I'm not entirely sure how to begin writing this review, as I'm still under the influence of the movie, even though it has been almost two weeks since I've seen it. Let me just start by making a confession, and telling those reading this a personal story. When I was little, four, five years old maybe, I used to be in love with everything having to do with space. I would get my dad to go for long evening walks in the summer, constantly gaze at the night sky while tugging at his hand, and asking him questions about the Universe: How far is that star? Will we ever get there? What does "infinity" mean? How was the Universe created? and countless questions in similar vein. As time progressed, however, I gradually lost interest in these questions of our existence, and moved on to other - no less interesting - but slightly different issues, as I established a career as a theoretical linguist.
The only thing that remained from that time, is my love for sci-fi movies. Unfortunately though, the last decade gave fans of the genre a rough treatment. We have been bombarded by what I, for lack of a better term, call "action sci-fi" , seemingly without end. The last SW movie (not much scientific about lightsabers), a couple of Transformers films, Countless Marvel movies bordering on sci-fi, etc. Prometheus and Moon provided a brief respite, but we have all been waiting for a true classic - until now - I rarely (Actually, never before to this extent) get so involved in a movie. After two hours, I usually get impatient, my legs start to ache, etc. Yet, during the three hours of Interstellar, I remained glued to the screen, and not so much as a whisper was heard in the entire cinema. After leaving the cinema, my interest in the Universe, and everything related was immediately rekindled. I bought "The Science of Interstellar" without hesitation, and have been reading through articles and explanations ever since. The actual, scientific basis of the film is excellent, every phenomena referenced (black holes, 5 dimensional space, etc.) derives from existing scientific theories, and at least some credible professionals believe them to be possible. As someone who is personally involved in research, I am inclined to believe a renowned scientist, and his clear, vivid explanations more than random people expressing disbelief on the forums, but what we believe to be credible is, of course, subject to our own personal decision.
The visuals of Interstellar are remarkable, and truly unlike anything I'be ever seen in my life. There are no explosions, spaceship-chases, laser rifles, and devastated cities. There is only the vast, solitary beauty of space, yet, it is more vivid, more breathtaking and grandiose than any Michael Bay movie, and perfectly captures the beauty of space. Black holes, wormholes, nebulae, etc. have all been designed with actual equations and mathematical formulae in mind, and are, therefore, as close to reality as possible, and as can be expected from a movie.Some scenes showed phenomena so far, so detached from our everyday experience (yet, allowed by the laws of physics) that I was actually struggling to keep myself from breaking out in tears over earth's insignificance compared to the vast forces found in space.
The music is beautiful. I'm not an expert, therefore I only state that I've been listening to it since its release, trying to relive the movie over and over again. Never before have I realized how important music is for a film.
The acting is superb, emotional, and thanks to Nolan not using greenboxes whenever actual sets can be used - believable - I strongly advise every single person daunted by the few (but loud) haters over the interned to go, and see Interstellar with an open mind, and let it lead you far into space, and beyond. You will be changed, forever. Subtly, and ever so slightly, but changed.