Interstellar

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 7th November, 2014
Time : 169 minutes
Director: Christopher Nolan; Writers: Christopher and Jonathan Nolan; Music : Hans Zimmer
Starring : Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathway, John Lithgow, Mackenzie Foy, Timothee Chalamet, David Gyasi, Casey Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Topher Grace, Matt Damon, Leah Cairns



Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light

What would we do if life on Earth was about to come to an end, with dust storms blight ensuring most crops couldn’t survive and the planet becoming increasingly hostile ? In Interstellar, the answer lies in discovering other worlds which could possibly support us and is packed with stunning visuals, of space and bleak landscapes, a touching father-daughter story and some memorable dialogues. Unfortunately, all of this also comes with a lot of scientific, quite implausible sounding mumbo-jumbo about dimensions, black holes, worm holes, quantum data, relativity of time, gravity and the like, and also a slightly Hindi filmy touch throughout, so while the film is enjoyable, its not quite the mind-bending masterpiece its being made out to be

Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here

At the family level, McConaughey, living with his dad and kids (son and daughter) and is trying his best to be a farmer, something he hates, but there is not much use for a NASA pilot anymore since food is a primary unfulfilled need. The school recognizes his daughter as a bright spark but classifies the son as a potential farmer. In the tenth grade itself.

We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt

The world is still coming to terms with food shortages, coping with increasing dust storms, blight and a diminished population and a changing world order. One of the drones flying over Matthew’s farm in mid-west American is made in New Delhi, for example.

We must reach far beyond our own lifespans. We must think not as individuals but as a species. We must confront the reality of interstellar travel.

And, in secret, Michael Caine, a renowned scientist with NASA, is exploring for habitable worlds, helped by his daughter, Anne. And fate / a gravitational anomaly leads McConaughey there too.

You don't believe we went to the Moon?
I believe it was a brilliant piece of propaganda, that the Soviets bankrupted themselves pouring resources into rockets and other useless machines.

This is where the film starts to get spectacular visually, weighty dialogue-wise but also, very complicated and in a lot of ways, defies credibility. The end message is probably ‘Believe’ and the finale similar to how a lot of our ethnic films end, requiring lots of faith and a suspension of disbelief. The film is fun as well, in a ponderous kind of way, thought-provoking in large parts (what does lie above us, what if all we learnt about dimensions wasn’t true etc) and helped along by a very earnest performance from its main lead, who’s enjoying a spectacular renaissance of sorts in his career.

You might have to decide between seeing your children again and the future of the human race.

Like it or love it – this one will tickle your imagination. And just for some time, will make you look above with a renewed sense of wonder…

We've always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible