The Gist:
When humanity is on the brink of extinction a mysterious wormhole appears near Saturn. By chance ex pilot Cooper (McConaughey) and his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) discover what is left of NASA. His old mentor Dr. Brand (Caine) convinces Coop to lead a time through the wormhole in order to find a planet that can sustain life.
The Review:
So from the get go, we know we are in serious trouble. In short, the world is in desperate need of farmers and engineers since most crops have become extinct. Huge dustbowls and sandstorms sweep across the land frequently. It also turns out that NASA has been dismantled and the lunar landing is taught in schools to be a hoax in order to bankrupt the Soviet Union. There are some cheeky digs at the education system of today. Cooper’s son Tom will be destined to be a farmer since he only gets a C. Cooper argues and defends his son that a few measly grades can’t destine your future. The school board though is having none of it. Murph on the other hand is the brainbox of the family but gets into trouble because she challenges her teachers.
Through a chance discovery during one of the dust bowl sequences, Cooper and Murph discover a strange anomaly which will lead them to what is left of NASA. There we meet Nolan’s good luck charm Sir Michael Caine playing Dr. Brand, based on theoretical physicist Kip Thorn whose work inspired the film. Since Cooper is one of the few actual pilots with actual experience left he is tasked with leading the crew which consists of Brand’s daughter Amelia (Hathaway) Wes Bentley and Marlon Sanders. This leads to one of the film’s most dramatic scenes where Cooper must decide between abandoning his family for the future of mankind or stay and wait for the inevitable extinction. It’s hard to watch but at the same time after an hour or so into the movie, we can’t wait to see how Nolan explores space.
From a perfect blend between practical and digital effects, space has never been more beautiful and scary. The wormhole sits idly in the distance until the crew enter, distorting space and time together in a mind bending display. On the other side, along with the planets, a black-hole awaits that will surely raise a hair or two.
The extra terrestrial planets too just like the universe we inhabit are beautiful to look at but downright scary and out to kill you at any given moment. Make no mistake, this is not the colourful alien world of James Cameron’s Avatar. Although earth-like, the alien planets are harsh barren wastelands of water or ice. Mountain size waves come at random, while the other is so cold, clouds become ice mid air. Plus we are given a special treat with Matt Damon, his role is short but memorable.
But there has to be something else that will crank up the tension right? Before they land on the first planet, the crew or more like we the audience are informed that for every hour that passes, around seven years will pass on Earth. It could be considered a similarity to Inception but as they say in the movie, ‘Can’t argue with the math.’ So when the crew is stranded for a short time they find out that years have passed on Earth. That is where we see McConaughey at his best. In a painful and heartbreaking scene he must watch his children grow up right before his eyes through video logs they have been sending him. He says nothing, but his eyes and facial expressions speaks volumes.
In between the spectacular set pieces are long debates on science, the universe, our place in said universe and true love of all things.
Like Inception, we follow the lead character everywhere, while the rest of the cast are there to deliver the rules in exposition while not developing much of a character. A major complaint or downfall? Not at all. I only wish that Zimmer would calm the hell down with his 3000 Spartan-like symphony orchestra. I’m not sure if it was intentional or the cinema I was at did not have a good sound system but at times the score would drown out the dialogue. Technical issues aside, the film is a blast and a nice departure from all the superheroes/giant monsters doing bug all/headache inducing loud banging noise horror films that have been dominating our cinemas of late.
The Verdict:
Highly ambitious and brave, especially in the world of today where film studios rely on pre-existing material to invest big bucks into. Nolan could have gone the usual gun ho route but he keeps the story and characters grounded. It won’t be talked about as much as Inception but that was a whole different monster. Behind the huge and I do mean huge spectacle we have Nolan’s most heartfelt and teary eyed movie to date.
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