Humans have always been pioneers. Our nature invites us to explore, invent and discover new ideas — ideas that will lead us into a bright future. These themes represent the core of “Interstellar,” the newest film from director Christopher Nolan, whose work often tackles the idea of identity — who we are and where we will go.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
“Interstellar” is a science-fiction epic that begins here on Earth. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a former engineer and astronaut forced into farming when crops begin to die out across the planet. With few crops left, mankind desperately struggles for survival and Cooper soon discovers that as a capable pilot he can join what remains of NASA’s fleet to help save the human race.
Compelled to make the journey to help save the lives of his children, he shares a tearful goodbye with his young daughter, Murphy, who stubbornly refuses to accept his departure without a reassurance of when he will return. As Cooper and his fellow astronauts head into another galaxy via a wormhole, they discover incomprehensible worlds and situations that force them to decide why they have really embarked on such a mission, not knowing that those back on Earth still search for an answer.
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UNBALANCED PACING
But, like many blockbusters of our time, “Interstellar” has its fill of problems. The most obvious includes a rushed first act anxious to lift off the ground, giving us an inadequate sense of the end of the world and the crisis the human race faces. These struggles and character moments, if fleshed out properly, could have served as the foundation for a near perfect film. However, it still makes an ambitious and beautiful one, with powerful acting and a hugely fulfilling emotional payoff.
The visuals, while seemingly not as advanced as even last year’s “Gravity,” still offer a gorgeous and impressive show on an IMAX screen. It remains refreshing to know that in an industry full of sequels and reboots we still have filmmakers like Christopher Nolan making original, bold and satisfying films.
