Film Review: ‘Interstellar’ is Supposed to Mean Something, But What?

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CHICAGO – It is most likely that movie goers were asking the same question of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 1968, but Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” belongs to its own category of what-is-the-meaning, because it tries to combine pseudo-science with psycho-babble, which clashes into meaninglessness. But the visuals are stunning, and there are moments of fulfillment, especially in a big screen IMAX format.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

The ante is certainly being raised for space films, and the category of humanist science fiction that “Interstellar” attempts is fulfilling exploration, paired with the use of cutting edge visual effects. The story, however, doesn’t hold water – even on a watery planet – and what is left is nearly three hours of an eye candy rush, accompanied by the crash-and-burn of the old lyric, “love is all you need.” Yes, that aphorism is truth, but in space no one can hear you scream when it doesn’t work as a motivation for saving people on Planet Earth.

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a pilot turned farmer in a dystopia vision of future earth – plant life is dying and the landscape is subjected to virulent dust storms. But a mysterious force of communication is giving his daughter Murphy (younger portrayed by Mackenzie Foy, older by Jessica Chastain) signals that her father must follow, and they end up in a secret NASA bunker.

Apparently Cooper is the only pilot that can go up in space on a follow-up mission. Astronauts were seeking new worlds to inhabit, by going through a wormhole near Saturn, and Cooper and fellow mission specialist Amelia (Anne Hathaway) are sent to these planets to find if any of those missing explorers were successful. One problem though, the theory of relativity bends time in their travels, so the earth ages more rapidly than they do.

”Interstellar” opened in select IMAX theaters November 5th, and will be released everywhere on November 7th. See local listings for theaters and show times. Featuring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Wes Bentley, Mackenzie Foy, David Gyasi, Bill Irwin, Topher Grace, and Casey Affleck. Written by Christopher Nolan, and Jonathan Nolan. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Interstellar”

Anne Hathaway
Amelia (Anne Hathaway) in Space for ‘Interstellar’
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Interstellar”

Grisel Aguilera 's picture

Interstellar

One galaxy to the next

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