Interstellar
By Shane Hannon | Nov 21 2014
Film Title: InterstellarDirector: Christopher NolanStarring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine.Release Date: Out NowI know what you’re thinking: another action-adventure space epic? In reality however, this film draws influences from all the great films in this genre, but still stands out on its own as an independently well-made film. Even if you aren’t a fan of Christopher Nolan’s previous work, there’s no reason why Interstellar won’t leave you speechless.Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a widowed astronaut living in the near-future when planet Earth is on the apocalyptic verge. In this dystopian future, crops are being destroyed by dust storms, food suplies are running low and humans may not last another generation. A story of love, morality and a desperate attempt to save humanity is set against all this, with your standard dosage of wormholes, alien worlds and black holes along the way.The cast itself is stellar (pardon the pun) with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain proving their worth as female leads in what is undoubtedly the biggest film of their careers to date. Appearances from the likes of Michael Caine, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck only add to the list of box-office names who queued up out the door to be a part of this film, even if it is only in secondary roles. The big budget, bigger special effects and dedication to realism make this film an incredibly attractive prospect.At times the gravity of the situation McConaughey and his crew find themselves in is a bit downplayed. Some of the dialogue can be a bit nonchalant, which is annoying considering the importance of the decisions the crew have to make; literally decisions that will shape the future of the human race. The die-hard space followers will point out discrepancies (a retired astronaut thrown into the most important mission of his life without any apparent training for example) but the acting and visual sensory overload distract from that seamlessly. Much of the film was shot using IMAX cameras, and the sections of the film shot at the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Iceland make for breath-taking viewing.Comparisons with Gravity are inevitably going to be made, and in terms of the view of Earth from space they are on a par. However if you were to judge the pair on storytelling alone, Interstellar comes out on top, hands down. Granted it is almost twice as long (at 169 minutes) but the flow of the dialogue and the many emotional, affecting moments make it simply fly by. Nolan always ensures his films make the audience think á la Inception, and be warned, this one is no different. The cinematography and scientific research that went into this project have certainly paid off. Add to that the extremely convincing performances by the cast and the result is a film that has literally brought a whole new dimension to the sci-fi genre.In a nutshell: A tale of inter-galactic and spiritual exploration, with underlying human stories that we can all relate to. Everyone who sees this film will take something different away from it – and that something will stay with you for a long time thereafter. Not to be missed.