There has recently been a string of what I like to call "real sci-fi" released. Attempts at basing the world within realistic restraints while tackling an idea behind what new tech could accomplish or threaten. It's something more than laser guns or a post-apocalyptic world. Interstellar aims to please in this respect, and in most ways it hits the mark.
THE dust bowl of interstellar
Plot - Interstellar Review
Interstellar starts out some time after years of global warming. Crops are hard to grow and creating food has become the primary task of humanity. One of these farmers (played by Matthew McConaughey) happens to be a former astronaut and is dragged into what could be humanity's last effort to save the world. Notoriously liberal Hollywood (in this case, Director Christopher Nolan) could be making political commentary in regards to global warming, but I prefer to see it as a realistic reason, a forceful one, to thrust us into exploration, a priority that has been lost in our current times. Suffice it to say, this begins the interstellar journey.
Interstellar review - Real Science FiCTION
Along the journey, time is the utmost important element both to the characters' and the film's themes. It is how the film deals with time, and the repercussions of mishandling it that can divide audiences. While there are explanations within the film that try at best to guide the audience through the science, and more realistically, the theory of what is being presented, some of such exposition must be taken with a grain of salt, or embraced completely, trusting that the science is sound. The fact is, that no one really knows what would happen in these instances, but the theories presented are reflected in the scientific community. This is where your personal connection to the characters becomes so important. That connection can transcend whatever it is about the plot that is either beyond belief or that you simply don't agree with its portrayal. Personally, I did not see either as a problem, but compared to earlier parts of the film where the science is so strong, the climax can seem cheapened, but still powerful.
Cinematography - Interstellar Review
Like most Christopher Nolan films, the cinematography is spectacular. Particular scenes were filmed in IMAX, and thus is removed the letterboxing of the less engrossing scenes. The picture becomes absolutely beautiful when reaching a new planet, passing by a black hole or simply out in the vastness of space. It is particularly effective when transitioning, within the same scene, between a cockpit setting (with letterboxing) and space or a landscape (IMAX). It serves to really accent the beauty of the extraordinary.
Music - Interstellar Review
Hans Zimmer rarely has a misstep, and Interstellar is not among them. Ostensibly his most unorthodox score, Interstellar's music is hauntingly original. It does well to inflect whichever emotion needs conveying. Even with site unseen, the music gives off a sense of dread of the unknown, which is really the theme of the picture. In the scenes filled with tension, Zimmer's score completely elevates it with music, and the editing of the ever-increasing volume, or a sharp pause serves as one of the most effective uses of music in a movie for quite some time.
Interstellar Review Reflection
Regardless of the plot, everything thing else about the film is masterful. The acting is adequate at least in some spots, and tremendous in others. The design, the cinematography, and especially the music are all timeless in the way that 2001: A Space Odyssey is. Any fan of science fiction looking to be respected as a thinker should watch this.
