Interstellar Movie Review: Not Nolan’s Best, Still a ‘Must Watch’

The expectation for "Interstellar" has been sky high. On one hand, it is the master filmmaker Christopher Nolan whose last film as a director "The Dark Knight Rises" broke numerous box office records. On the other, it is the Academy Award winning actors Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway who are playing the lead roles in the film. The movie is going to release in Australia today, November 6.

The Cast

The main cast of the movie includes McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, David Gyasi, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin (voice) and Josh Stewart (voice). The additional cast includes Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine and Casey Affleck.

Director

The movie is directed by Christopher Nolan who is hugely known for directing movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, The Prestige and Memento.

The Story

Scientists and explorers unite for a planned voyage through a newly discovered wormhole. This promises to be the next level of space travel by humans. McConaughey plays Cooper, an engineer who has to decide if he should leave his children behind so that he can go for the voyage. If he joins it, he will be able to save humanity by finding another planet in the galaxy where humans can live. He needs to do it as Earth is environmentally devastated.

The Highs

Gulf News calls the film a "sublime cosmic knockout" which makes viewers realise the significance of time. The movie is a visual masterpiece, but it is human relationship which lies in its core. Rolling Stone appreciates the movie for blending "the cosmic and the intimate." It says that Nolan has reached for the stars in the film. According to The New York Times, the "terrifically entertaining science-fiction movie" is "a plea for forgiveness" on behalf of the "foolish, dreamy species" called the humans for ruining everything on this planet.

The Lows

The Guardian calls the film the "biggest disappointment." It criticises the "moderate acting and toenail-extracting dialogue" in the film. It calls McConaughey "entirely insufferable" while actors like Hathaway and Caine were not "encouraged to leave their performance comfort zones." The length of the movie that is nearly three hours is also criticised by several experts. According to some critics, the "clunky" dialogue is one of the weaknesses in the film.

The Verdict

This "muscular, ambitious film" by Nolan has "bang-per-buck visuals," according to critic Peter Bradshaw. It does not try to explore aliens in the space. In spite of being a "space" movie, it focuses majorly on human relationships. While Nolan's fans may not find it to be one of his best films, it still is a must-watch.

The Rating

The movie gets 7/10 from us.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au