The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
WHAT I LIKED: Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker known for his grand, twisty narratives which move in service of big real-world ideas, and though 'Interstellar,' is a prime example of that, it's the film's utterly incredible atmosphere and, crucially, its character work, which means all of that is brought home in such an incredibly visceral, emotionally-affecting way.
The bare bones of the story are that humanity has only got a generation left on Earth as they're running out of food, so, after his daughter Murph sees some strange messages in her bedroom, ex-astronaut Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is roped in to leave his kids behind with some other explorers (including Anne Hathaway's Brand) and locate a new hospitable planet on the other side of the universe. That brings up some fascinating real-world themes not only about how space and time work and how small we are within the wider expanse of the universe, but also about how humans are wired to think of themselves and their loved ones rather than of their collective species, and how, ultimately, that interpersonal love is what transcends the logics of space and time.
Those are some rather humanistic (yes, corny) themes in a film of pretty epic scale, so the fact that Nolan gives an unusual amount of attention to building empathy for the central characters is crucial. It helps that the first half hour of the film is spent on Earth with Cooper and his family struggling to get by on their corn farm; engulfed by constant dust storms and being told that the kids should be farmers despite their intelligence because they're part of a "caretaker generation." That - especially thanks to McConaughey's performance - invests you in the love these characters have for each other, but also the desperation they're a part of with the simplest touches to show how everyday life has become a struggle.
When Cooper finds out the next generation will be the last, you also consequently understand his motives for leaving against the heart-wrenching protests of his daughter Murph, and that brings the self-preservation theme to life in a very humanistic way. Every one of the astronauts - from Cooper, to Matt Damon's stranded character Mann who lies about the viability of the planet he found in order to be rescued - all have unbelievably noble intentions, but they all equally struggle immensely with the idea of sacrificing themselves for the good of humanity when the chips are down because their (very relateable) primary instincts are to look out for themselves and the ones they love first.
Those two often conflicting motives - the literal fate of humanity, and the characters' personal wishes - in turn make for some unbelievably high stakes and atmospheric tension. Every risky move they make on their ship of limited fuel and supplies, you're on the edge of your seat knowing that if it fails humanity will end. When Cooper lands on the first potential planet and every hour they spend is seven years on Earth, you're on the edge of your seat longing that he doesn't spend too long there before Murph grows up. The moment where Mann tries to escape the inhospitable planet he discovered and dock on the main ship to save his own life, you long for him to stop both so that the mission doesn't fail and Cooper can return to see Murph again. And when Cooper winds up sacrificing himself after realising there was never the facilities for him to return to Earth, you long for he and his remaining partner Brand to somehow succeed in communicating the data about the final successful planet back home.
It's a film that has you on the edge of your seat almost throughout, and though those nearly impossible stakes could easily become relentless, it's the way Nolan navigates the atmosphere of the piece that keeps you hooked. On the one hand that's down to the way he uses his camera to communicate scale; lingering in to portray the extremes of emotion and fear on the characters' faces, then cutting from close-ups of the intricacies of the ships to the widest shots imaginable of them within the awesome expanse of space to show the fragility of their situation. That "space," is of course realised perfectly too - with visual effects and real-word locations blended perfectly to create a tangible sense of what the universe (and even a black hole) might actually be like in a way that no other film ever has. But perhaps an even bigger part of that visceral atmospheric quality comes from the sound design, as Nolan often chooses to keep things completely silent between the variably terrifying, rousing, epic, thunderous sounds of Zimmer's ticking percussion, delicate twinkling and thundering organ.
The final act then sees Cooper sacrifice himself into a black hole against his personal wishes, only to miraculously realise that his entire mission was born out of that moment, as from there he's able to communicate back in time to Murph's childhood bedroom in order to plant the messages which trigger the things we saw at the start. That's a very Hollywood ending, as although it's born out of the idea of gravity transcending time and the idea that anything that can happen will happen, it's ultimately used 'Love, Actually,' style to show Cooper that "love transcends space and time." Sure, that's cheesy and glib, but because you're so invested in the characters and the fate of makind, it's emotionally-engaging regardless. As that thematic and character stuff is combined with such an all-consuming atmosphere, the result is one of the most affecting, awe-inspiring films I've ever seen.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: We could do without the tie-with-a-bow epilogue that allows Cooper to see his now-ancient daughter again, as the themes and arcs are already pretty wrapped up by that point and the rest just feels appeasing and unnecessary.
VERDICT: Never mind its Hollywood ending, or the fact it's the most tangible depiction of space ever put to screen, 'Interstellar,' is an atmospheric, character and thematic masterpiece, and it's one of my favourite films of all time.
