Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Christopher Nolan, Paramount Pictures, M, 169 Minutes.
Renowned filmmaker and sci-fi supremo Christopher Nolan (‘Dark Knight’ trilogy) has crafted a complex yet intriguing space story that takes place in the future in a faraway galaxy with climate change as its centrepiece.
The opening scenes show the Earth is being ravaged by drought and famine caused by severe climatic changes as a former space pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey –Dallas Buyer’s Club’) works on his farm to fend for his family.
As a widower Cooper must now care for young daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy – ‘The Conjuring’), son Tom (Timothee Chalamet – ‘Lady Bird’) and his own father Donald (John Lithgow – ‘Bombshell’) by harvesting the only food left – corn.
But one day Cooper (accompanied by Murph) comes across a NASA base where he meets Professor Brand (Michael Caine –‘The Dark Knight’) who asks him to take an interstellar voyage to find a life – sustaining planet for Earth’s surviving inhabitants.
On being told by Brand of a wormhole being found to such a planet Cooper then agrees to captain the spaceship Endurance with a small crew that includes Brand’s daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway – ‘The Intern’).
In their quest to find a new home for the human race Cooper and his crew face many dangers including one from a missing astronaut Dr Mann (Matt Damon – ‘The Martian’) having supposedly died during an earlier space mission.
After being away for so many years and as an adult woman Murph (Jessica Chastain – ‘Miss Sloane’) continues to hope her father will return home soon and be also reunited with her grown-up son Tom (Casey Affleck –‘Tower Heist’).
Nolan’s space travel spectacular starts off somewhat slowly but picks up the pace as the story progresses but then diverts at a tangent to incorporate his concept of time travel, similar to the classic ‘2001 – A Space Odyssey’.
There is also some parallel to the Oscar winning film ‘Gravity’ with its stunning space like settings that convey a great deal of cinematic beauty and pleasure.
If there is a drawback in Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ it is the extent of dialogue overladen with the excessive scientific jargon within a rather overlong production.
Apart from the splendid space settings the added enjoyment is attributed to McCaughey’s magnificent performance particularly in providing the right amount of emotion needed in an emotionally driven storyline.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
INTERSTELLAR is to be televised on Channel 7 at 8.30pm on Friday 15 October
