Possibly the most thought provoking film I've seen.

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2014)

'Interstellar' â€“ 8.5 out of 10 (give or take a point)
Christopher Nolan's latest work is so unlike anything else I've seen (at least in recent years) that I think it may need to be rated in its own little sphere of existence, outside of the rest of the cinematic universe.
The thing about 'Interstellar' is this: While it is, undoubtedly, a masterpiece I'm not sure how to put my feelings about it into words. It's now five days since I saw it and I'm not sure if I like it or love it. I know I don't hate it. Given the deafening silence with which the closing credits were met with in the cinema, I think that confusion is a pretty standard response.
To put it simply, if you don't like movies that make you think, give this one a miss. If, like me, you enjoy a piece of cinematic art that has you pondering everything from the origins of the universe, to your own place in it, to the future of humankind, to the possibilities of space travel, you must see this. At least once.
Nolan, the man responsible for such visionary films as 'Inception', 'Memento', 'The Prestige' and 'The Dark Knight' trilogy has, no doubt, delivered his greatest mind shag to date with 'Interstellar'. It takes place in the near future where the Earth is, for lack of a better description, dying. The surviving remnants of the human race have all but given up on scientific and exploratory pursuits, for the simpler task of farming. World leaders have posted their entire hopes of survival on producing crops, an increasingly difficult pursuit due to the 'blight' which is gripping the planet.
Matthew McConaughey plays 'Cooper' a single father and former NASA pilot, engineer, and man of science, now devoted to cultivating corn. When he stumbles across the opportunity to pilot a space craft into deep space, in order to explore potentially habitable planets, he is forced to choose whether to attempt to save the human race at the expense of perhaps never seeing his children again. His relationship with his kids, in particular his daughter (a fellow lover of science and explorer at heart), is the axle on which the entire film spins.
McConughey is good in this, as is the rest of the cast, most notably Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine. But, there is no doubt that the real stars are the special effects team and the sound department. This is an assault on the senses. The visuals of space are the best I've seen.
The other thing I really like is that the science of space travel in this movie is authentic. I'm no physicist, but this is the type of film that has you reading up on the ideas it conjures, if you're so inclined. Nolan actually brought a theoretical physicist on board to ensure that the concepts used are both plausible and accurate. Black holes, space-time, worm holes. They're all here and they're all used in a fashion which does not leave the audience calling bullshit. Again, if such things interest you, get on board. If not, steer clear.
Writing this review has helped convince me that I do rate 'Interstellar' highly. Just how highly may depend on subsequent viewings. It is most definitely, however, a cinematic masterpiece. It is also, definitely, not for everyone.
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