Coming off of the success of 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, director Christopher Nolan transports audiences to new galaxies with the epic sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar. The film stars Mathew McConaughey as Cooper and Anne Hathaway as Dr. Brand as they tackle the treacherous anomalies the universe offers, in their quest for a new home among the stars.
Nolan has, hopefully at this point, earned his place in the hearts and minds of the general audience. Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy has changed the way viewers experience the superhero genre, and besides the trilogy, Nolan has worked with the likes of Guy Pierce, Al Pacino, Michael Caine (a regular among his casts), and Leonardo DiCaprio. This outstanding director, having formed his own production company based in England, Syncopy Inc., has defined himself through his eerily dark, yet exquisite color palette and his devotion to a realistic framework and setting for all of his films, despite their grandeur. Interstellar in no way deviates from this basis of production, yet it expands upon his principles visually. Cooper and Dr. Brand travel to the reaches of our solar system, allowing for immense and striking views of planets that we as audiences are familiar with. We are taken far beyond the boundaries of our solar system, however to a new, meticulously imagined galaxy that exemplifies the mystery and explorative, horrifying nature of our heroes’ quest.
Both McConaughey and Hathaway offer intense, believable, and heartbreaking portrayals of scientists and, mainly, “pioneers” who tackle the inexplicable toll that their journey has on them personally, and what their success or failure means for the people back home on Earth. McConaughey, though having just won the Best Actor award at the Oscars for his role in Dallas Buyer’s Club, has quite possibly earned himself another Academy nod for his work as Cooper, an astronaut and adventurer found in a time supposedly out of place for his talents, though he soon finds that fate has dropped him right where he is needed most. Hathaway’s Dr. Brand couples with Cooper to make an extraordinary pair that may find its place among the greats of the cinematic universe. Not to be missed are performances from Caine, acclaimed actress Jessica Chastain, and a knockout cameo that displays Nolan’s devotion to and the superb effect of the mystery of secrecy.
Interstellar is immediately one of the more noticeable and epic films of this year and possibly this decade. Despite the success and following that his previous films have garnered, Nolan returns to the silver screen with a film that reinvigorates audiences with mystery and fascination, capturing the awe, intensity, and passion that the film industry of today is incapable of consistently, even moderately, producing. Combining outstanding performances, a soundtrack that leaves every viewer on the edge of his or her seat, chills crawling down the spine, and an aesthetic that defines Nolan’s style and ambition as a filmmaker, Interstellar creates its own space in the sci-fi genre and exemplifies Nolan’s mastery of transcending the different genres of cinema. Filled with commentary on our place in the galaxy and on our home, Earth, Interstellar wonderfully explicates humans’ capabilities and limitations as well as what about being human contributes to and detracts from our abilities and our ambitions.
Featured Image Courtesy of Legendary Pictures
