One look at the cast and crew of Interstellar, and you’ll understand why it is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Some of the most famous and revered people in the industry signed up for Christopher Nolan’s epic film. In fact, Interstellar is just that: an epic. Knowing it would run two hours and 49 minutes, I buckled up for this odyssey through space. Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan introduce us to an earth that is dying and a man that is desperate to save humanity.
Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is an ex-astronaut- turned-corn-farmer, due to a blight that has limited the food supply on earth. Everything on earth is covered in dust, and the people are plagued by frequent dust storms. Cooper and his daughter, Murph (Mackenzie Foy and later Jessica Chastain), stumble upon a space station that has been hidden away. NASA was shut down after the blight started since people were not as interested in paying for trips to space when they were starving. At this new NASA station, Cooper meets Dr. Brand (Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables) and Professor Brand (Michael Caine, Batman). Professor Brand happens to be an old colleague from Cooper’s astronaut days. They explain to him that the blight will soon kill all plants, and we have no choice left but to find a new planet. Professor Brand says that Cooper is the only man that can lead this journey, and he is forced to leave his children behind for the good of humanity. What ensues is an adventure you have to see to believe.
McConaughey and Hathaway bring us with them on this dramatic, emotional journey that affects them deeply, both having left their loved ones behind and losing years of time from space travel. Interstellar reminds us of our love for the movie theater, and just how much it can enhance one’s perception of a movie. Hans Zimmers’ music is extraordinary, and heightens the already incredibly grand scale of the film. Watching their ship travel through space on a screen that is 22 by 52 feet, or 97 by 72 feet if you are like me and splurged for the IMAX ticket, makes the whole film that much better. To put it simply, Christopher Nolan goes where no director has gone before.
