Interstellar is the 2001: Space Odyssey of the 21st Century

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2015)

Every so often a film will come around that will not only amaze and astound us, but it will leave us questioning the very world around us. The last time I had an experience like this was The Matrix in 1999, and while I didn't exactly go home and look to see if I could make my spoons bend, it caused many viewers to look at the world in a different light and question our reality. Interstellar has a similar effect even though it goes about it in different ways.
Interstellar is an epic, space opera from Christopher Nolan from a script penned by Chris and his brother Jonathan. The film deals with a multitude of complex scientific theories, but the crux of the film is saving humanity from a blight by finding a new planet via interstellar travel. To Nolan this was very much a passion project as he had long professed his admiration for Stanley Kubrick's 2001, and it was easy to see during many points in the film.
Interstellar is an immersive, whirlwind of a thought provoking cinematic experience like none other I have ever experienced. The film centers around four people who embark on a journey through an artificial wormhole near Saturn in hopes of reaching a planet that can sustain human life, before humanity itself is doomed. Meanwhile, back on Earth we are left to wait while scientists frantically work to either save us from the blight that has destroyed our crops or await good news from another galaxy that we will be saved.
As with all Nolan films, it is a visual masterpiece. The worm hole and black hole are gorgeous and worth the price of admission just on their own. Nolan's use of practical effects really shines through by adding elements of realism that have been lacking from other space movies that opt for CGI. The grittiness that is represented in the effects of the film is equally beautiful and terrifying as everything feels more real, even while dealing with the most theoretical of ideas.
The score is breathtaking. Hans Zimmer rarely brings a bad score to any film, but this truly is yet another bright feather in his cap. Zimmer's heavy use of organs brings a haunting, tension-building pressure to the atmosphere of the movie. I want to stay as spoiler free as possible, but the docking scene was one of the most awe inspiring scenes I have seen in a movie in years.
While I can rave for hours about how much I loved this movie, it is not without flaws. In fact, some of it's flaws are rather major. McConaughey is the only actor who receives considerable screen time and is the only one who has much character development. There is so much talent in the cast with the likes of Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chasten, Casey Affleck, and others (spoiler free) that it is disappointing that none of them receive their proper due. McConaughey kills it in his role, but even he could have been given more depth to work with.
The movie gets extremely heavy with many of it's scientific theories and for many that can be too much to take in all at once. While this is a science fiction film, many of the major theories thrown about in the film are based on solid science as far as we know it today. I have seen many people write this movie off as inaccurate when in fact this movie is more accurate than virtually every space movie we have seen to date. The film explores space and time like no movie has ever done before and it is one of the most ambitious film experiences I have seen. Nolan lays all of his cards down on the table and floods the audience with information as we explore both real and theoretical space as we race to save our species.
Outside of the visuals and scientific principals, Interstellar could definitely have used some cleaning up. The story definitely could have given us more depth and could have been less heavy handed so the general population would have been able to better grasp the science behind the lens.
That being said, I loved the film and it was one of my favorites of 2014. I can see Nolan's clear inspiration from 2001 which had up until now been my favorite space movie. Nolan takes over where Kubrick's effects team was unable to take him to and brings us a space we had only imagined before in film. In time I believe this movie will be looked back on fondly once the audience has had time to digest everything
If you are seeing Interstellar to see a brilliant character study with an easy to follow plot, then this is not the movie for you. It may not have the emotional payout you are looking for and you dare not leave to use the restroom during the movie. However, if you want to see one of the grandest visual treats you'll likely every witness and have a true theater experience then I would highly recommend checking out Interstellar.