Film review: Interstellar (12A)

Interstellar (15) review

Cards on the table: I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s work.

Be it his wonderful take on Batman with the Dark Knight trilogy or the simply incredible Inception, I just love watching his films.

I’m sure that I’m not alone – and with that in mind, Interstellar has been keenly-anticipated by the masses for quite some time now.

But hype can be a killer. Couple Nolan directing with the likes of Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) starring and you’ve either got a recipe for an absolute classic, or a major league flop.

Thankfully, I’m happy to report that Interstellar is one of the most unique films you’ll ever have the pleasure of watching.

The mind-boggling concepts explored in this sci-fi epic are way beyond the comprehension of a Layman such as myself, but Nolan does an excellent job of holding your hand throughout.

That’s not to say, though, that you’ll not get Interstellar. But as a reviewer, I’m going to have a tough time explaining what you can expect from a film that is sure to win awards aplenty in the coming months.

Essentially, that’s partly because I don’t want to ruin it…and partly because I’m not sure what went down myself.

Normally I’d give you chapter and verse on every character in the film, but to do that would really detract from your experience.

So, in Layman’s terms, the plot is as follows: The earth is dying and the human race must find a new planet for themselves to inhabit before it becomes extinct.

You’re probably thinking about the moon or even Mars at this point. But no, it turns out travelling through a ‘wormhole’ to a new dimension is the way forward.

Enter Cooper (McConaughey), a widowed former NASA astronaut. Despite spending his recent years as a farmer (in a bid to help feed the starving planet), he emerges as the only choice to pilot the mission.

The kicker is, accepting the mission means leaving his young children Murph and Tom behind.

Among those travelling with Cooper is Brand (Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables). She’s the daughter of Professor Brand (Michael Caine – The Dark Knight trilogy), who has cooked up the extinction-preventing plan.

Revealing anything more than that really isn’t an option, so you’re going to have to strap yourself in and find out just how deep the wormhole goes.

What I will tell you is that Interstellar is one of the best looking films I’ve ever seen.

Like the moment you saw Avatar in 3D at the cinema for the first time, this is a movie that demands you watch it in a theatre. To wait for the DVD release would be to rip the heart out of Nolan’s masterpiece.

From an acting viewpoint, Interstellar is also bang on the money. McConaughey, fresh off the back of his Oscar-winning role in Dallas Buyers Club and a brilliantly edgy performance in True Detective, is just awesome.

Hathaway is a great foil for him on the mission too, while Caine is perfectly-cast.

Look out for a good cameo from John Lithgow as Cooper’s father-in-law, plus appearances from two big actors that will really surprise you – including one that I had genuinely no idea about.

As touched upon above, Nolan’s visionary plot does have the potential to sail over your head. Some of the twists may also infuriate those of you that are scientifically minded, as Interstellar does stretch the parameters of what you could consider ‘realistic’ or ‘believable’.

However, I choose to embrace what I saw. At almost three hours long, it’s a very lengthy experience – but one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Nolan has the knack of making you walk out of the cinema with a sense of satisfaction, but also curiosity.

Like Inception before it, I’m not totally sure what happened in Interstellar.

But I bloody loved it.

Rating: 5/5 (watched at West End Cinema, Boston)

Showtimes at West End Cinema, Boston (November 14 to November 20)

EVENT CINEMA

DAVID BOWIE IS (PG)
7pm (Mon)

THE VATICAN MUSEUM 3D (U)
7pm (Tues)

FILMS SHOWING

**THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 (12A)
2.15pm (Thurs), 5.20pm (Thurs) 8.25pm (Thurs)

**THE IMITATION GAME (12A)
10am (Sat/Sun), 12.30pm (Sat/Sun/Wed), 3pm (not Mon/Tues), 5.45pm (daily), 8.20pm (daily)

**THE DROP (15)
4.15pm (daily), 6.30pm (not Tues), 8.50pm (daily)

**NATIVITY 3: DUDE WHERE’S MY DONKEY (U)
10.10am (Sat/Sun), 12.30pm (Sat/Sun/Wed), 3pm (not Mon/Tues), 5.30pm (Mon/Thurs), 6pm (not Mon/Thurs)

INTERSTELLAR (12A)
2pm (not Mon/Tues), 5.30pm (daily), 7.45pm (daily)

OUIJA (15)
5.30pm (Sat/Sun),
8.50pm (daily)

FURY (15)
8.25pm (not Thurs)

BOOK OF LIFE 3D (U)
10am (Sat/Sun), 2.10pm (Sat/Sun)

BOOK OF LIFE 2D (U)
12 noon (Sat/Sun)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 3D (12A)
3pm (Fri/Sat/Sun/Wed), 5.25pm (Fri/Tues/Weds)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2D (12A)
12.40pm (Sat/Sun)

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY (PG)
10am (Sat/Sun), 12 noon (Sun)

KIDS’ CLUB
Daily 10.30am – The Unbeatables 3D (U)

SILVER SCREEN
Wed 11.30am – Interstellar (12A)

** Denotes free list suspended

Box office: 01205 363634
Web: www.westendcinema.co.uk/SavoyBoston