Interstellar

Interstellar is a lot like Game of Thrones in so much as I almost never know what the hell is going on, but damn if I don't enjoy it for the most part.

Interstellar takes place in dust bowl America. We are slowly running out of food, so a group of scientists travel into space to find a habitable planet for us to move to. That is the most basic plot of the film, and I'm not really going to get into a whole lot more because wormholes and relativity and science!  Here is the thing about Interstellar - it's two-thirds of a damn good Sci fi movie. Even if you can't always understand what is happening, you can just give in and have fun with a movie like this. My major problem with Interstellar is the last act. The absolute bizarre nature of the third act us just off putting. I know I've seen this a month later than everyone else, but I still don't want to give away any spoilers.  Let's just say my major problem is the fifth dimension book shelf. It just takes away from the awesome Sci fi movie you just spent nearly three hours watching.

If the final act of the script sort of falls apart right before your eyes, the rest of the movie more than makes up for it. The visual effects are absolutely dazzling and breath taking. Christopher Nolan directs the hell out of this movie. He wears his inspiration on his sleeve, and you can see he's trying to make his own 2001: A Space Odyssey. I mean, if you are going to pay homage to space movies, might as well try to take after the best. It never gets there, of course, but it is striking and beautifully shot. It is epic, but also works as a beautiful parable about the love between fathers and daughters.  The score of the movie is stunning as well, but I actually really enjoyed the absence of music, those few moments which were filled with profound silence.

The performances, of course, are top notch. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, an engineer and farmer who leaves his children on Earth to travel to space to help save them. He continues the upswing of his career, in which he proves he has so much more talent than anyone could have imagined during his rom-com days. Anne Hathaway plays the appropriately named Amelia, a NASA scientist. I am not a fan of hers so the nicest thing I can say is that she didn't annoy me too much! John Lithgow and Michael Caine are solid in supporting roles. (Side note: Am I allowed to talk about the big surprise cameo yet?? I guess not, but the actor who plays Dr. Mann was a nice surprise and also absolutely wonderful in his small role.) For me, the MVP's are the actors who play Cooper's grown children. Because of relativity and black holes and whatever, Cooper doesn't age in space, but his children do on Earth. Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck are great in these roles. Affleck continues to be an under appreciated actor. He brings a silent rage to his role, while Chastain is just mesmerizing to watch, as always. She is angry and brilliant and lovely and layered and just a joy to watch. She is one of the most exciting actresses we have and it is always a pleasure to watch her, even in a flawed movie.

Because Interstellar is flawed. It is epic and stunning and enjoyable. It is also complicated and murky and ridiculous. If Interstellar had a better third act, it could have been one of the all time greats.  Instead, it's merely a visual effects driven enjoyable movie.

Grade: B