Interstellar (2014) User Reviews

I waited 5 years to watch it again

[Ksa-2010 · 10/10 · 26 June 2019]

After watching this insane movie in the theatres back in 2014 I swore to god I will wait 5 years to watch it again so I get to forget it and experince the insanity it has again This without doubt is THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE

7 years later

[ravesch-83770 · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

Sometimes I just need to see the start. Or end. Or a trailer. Or the music and theme from Hans Zimmer. Or the whole movie. Just to feel that thing, I only get from this movie. That the earth, space and time are something special, mystical. I never forget the first time I saw this movie, in an IMAX theatre in 2014. I was struck by it. Totally got me. And it stil does, 7 years later. This is the best movie ever made for me. Because of the feeling it gives me, no other movie can. So hard to get all of this emotion in only one movie. Brilliant.

Out of this world

[kosmasp · 10/10 · 31 May 2015]

A lot has been said and written about Interstellar. You can obviously take apart any movie that is out there. You'll either love this one or you won't. I kind of would have loved to have watched this on an IMAX screen, the sheer scope of the whole thing. It's just amazing, what Nolan has put on screen here. It's not only the visual experience (there is no 3D here by the way), it's the story/ride you take with it. It might be clear to some earlier than to others, where it's heading (no pun intended), but it doesn't change the fact that it's beautiful ... and terrifying at the same time.

Going out and saying this will be considered a classic, might not be too far stretched, but you still can never predict those things. The deserved love the movie gets on IMDb and other places would be an indicator that this will ring true though. The acting is really good, but I can understand if some people have issues with the ending. But the movie had to end in one way or another. It's the best possible way this could go, even if it's not in our grasps just yet ...

Masterpiece

[e-jackson1985 · 10/10 · 8 May 2022]

Amongst the best movies of all time. The story, the acting, the script, the cinematography, the effects, the sound and the production as a whole is all absolute 10/10's.

But what beats all of that is Hans Zimmers compositions. How he continues to churn out perfection to the senses is mindblowing.

A visual and auditory marvel

[Jared_Andrews · 10/10 · 13 April 2016]

Interstellar is a movie like no other. Unlike many apocalyptic sci-fi films that feature advanced technology as the source of our destruction (ala The Terminator movies), it instead asserts that technology will save us.

Not everyone in Interstellar recognizes the potential of advanced technology. Most dismiss it as a waste of time and resources, and not just old curmudgeons feel this way. Thoughtful, intelligent young characters share this sentiment. This belief gained steam following a world-wide blight that wiped out the vast majority of life on earth—crops and humans.

Farming became paramount while advanced technology was deemed frivolous. Cooper (McConaughey) remains one of the few survivors who still appreciates the need for engineering. He feels like a man lost in time, until he stumbles into the headquarters of NASA (which had been operating in secret due to public disapproval). Here he meets others who realize that a return to our old ways is unsustainable and will ultimately lead to our demise. We need technology to save us. As Michael Caine, playing the brilliant (duh!) Professor Brand, eloquently tells Cooper, "we were never meant to save the world. We were meant to leave it." For a movie that won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects (and deservedly so) the sound stole the show. Hans Zimmer (Dark Knight Trilogy) unleashed a performance that was, quite appropriately, out of this world. Never have I seen a movie elevated so much by its score. The sound literally took my breath away. Forgive me for the next paragraph. I will gush irresponsibly about the magic that is this movie's sound. Skip it if you please. You have your warning.

The music fueled every important scene. In every meaningful moment Zimmer's harmonies captivated watchers' attention in the way of a coach commanding a locker room with a pregame speech. The music elucidated those emotional scenes, particularly ones featuring Cooper and his daughter, in a way that no words or visual ques possibly could. I sat frozen, jaw agape, with tears pouring down my cheeks as the music completely overwhelmed my emotions. The sound penetrated my soul and reverberated through my body, flowing to my appendages, supplying me with life like a heartbeat pumping blood through my veins. The music was truly the life force of movie.

Yes, we all witnessed a visual triumph, a daring creative wonder the likes of which we haven't encountered since Inception. Yes, nearly every actor's performance proved worthy of commendation. McConaughey is on fire. Chastain is blossoming into a star. At this point Michael Cain exudes such knowledge and wisdom by merely appearing on screen that if he were cast as Albert Einstein, people would wonder if the role were beneath him. All this considered, and the sound still towered over everything.

I walked out of the theater believing that I had experienced something unique, something truly special. Interstellar inspires, it awes, and above all it entertains. I cannot ask for more than that.

Best movie I have seen in my life

[Patterson13 · 10/10 · 8 April 2015]

This movie was the best written, acted, visual effected, etc. movie. This movie was the best movie I have ever seen. I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan and this movie was his finest. Matthew McConaughey turned in his best performance of his lifetime. Anne Hathaway was an amazing supporting actress and compared to her performance in Les Miserables, I have no idea how she didn't get an Oscar for this. The visual effects were more than just Oscar worthy. They were pioneering. I have never seen anything like it. One thing I would recommend is having a little previous knowledge about space. Not like Einstein stuff though. I would recommend you see this movie as fast as you can if you are a Nolan fan or not. I give this movie a rating of 97 out of 100.

Excellent Movie

[frank-ancestor-hunter · 10/10 · 6 April 2015]

I judge a movie by how long it takes me to realize I need the bathroom, how long the movie can hold my interest and how convincing the events unfolding are. Well, I watched this movie all the way through with no bathroom breaks. My interest was grabbed from the start and held all the way through. Being old enough, and lucky enough to have watched the premiere of 2001 A Space Odyssey - and viewed it several times since - of course I made comparisons, and there were a few, but this movie tells an excellent stand alone story that is both riveting and believable. I'm not going to give away any secrets but anyone who watches the last five minutes or so without a lump in their throat and a tear in their eye, well you're a critic, you're not enjoying the movie because you're too busy looking for bloopers and faults. Were there bloopers and faults? The darn movie was so riveting if there were any I didn't notice them!

Possibly the best movie of all time

[theoledoux · 10/10 · 6 April 2021]

I think just about everything has been said about this film now. But, I can still tell you what this masterpiece is to me. To me, this movie is possibly the most relevant movie ever, because it questions our own humanity relative to the Universe. Whether that's our ability to love, think, or persevere and walk into the unknown. We are explorers, and curious at heart. This untameable curiosity is not our end, but our beginning. It is what advanced this civilization and it will continue to do so. So never, never let anybody tell you that we shouldn't look towards the stars and wonder, because that's what makes us human. Without this stargazing we are merely animals, accepting our fate in the dust...

Masterpiece

[aheaven2005 · 10/10 · 25 June 2022]

A science-fiction masterpiece. Nolan executes a marvelous direction that slowly but efficiently puts in place a dark world creating a necessity to save humanity. Add to that great performances from Nolan and Hathaway plus a great score from Hans Zimmer. The result is on the best science-fiction movies of all time.

A Visually Monumental And Thoughtful Sci-Fi Epic

[CalRhys · 8 November 2014]

I was extremely lucky to get the chance to see this film upon its first day release, before entering the cinema, my expectations were already high, after all, this was a film from the cinematic genius who brought us the likes of 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight', to summarise the following review in a single sentence: I left the cinema in extreme awe from the visual masterpiece I had just viewed. A film that explores the psychological and emotional state of a man whose life revolves around his family, 'Interstellar' is a thrilling and thought-provoking film that boasts an intellectual story masterfully written by the Nolan brothers. Whilst there seems to have been influence from films like '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Apollo 13', 'Interstellar' is unique in its own way. Whilst the subject may be hard to comprehend at times, it can't be denied how visually monumental and thoughtful Christopher Nolan's epic science fiction masterpiece is, and can easily be named the best film of this year and possibly one of the greatest science fiction films to have ever graced the screen. A sheer brilliant feat of cinema.

Unmatched visuals and writing, yet sentimentalist and most definitely not Nolan's best directorial work

[gonzaloltovilla · 6/10 · 29 October 2014]

I will keep this short for the sake of not spoiling anything.

Right off i should say I love Nolan. I adore most of his movies, and Interstellar is no exception. It is a marvelous piece of work whose visuals will be hard to forget. His shots of space and the way he played with colors is rather masterful. Maybe i expected it to be greater than what i saw, but even though i was moved by the movie i did not quite feel like he created something great with 'Interstellar.' This could be attributed maybe to his overuse of sentimentalism in the father-daughter relationship he creates. Nolan really tries to make you cry with this one. I have never seen him use such powerful emotions in his movies; however that is not necessarily a good thing for this movie, given that he uses his time trying to develop a family relationship at the expense of flow and congruency. Again, the Visuals are completely off the charts. The visual imagery is truly beautiful and something that Nolan has always excelled at. Given that the most visually stunning movie in recent years, Gravity, recently came out, Interstellar does not lag behind and shows you a spectacle of Visual effects.He will most likely win Visual effects at the Oscars. The Hans's score is marvelous and will most likely earn an Oscar nomination. Matthew Mcconaughey's acting is good, but nothing stellar, especially coming off the best acting role of his career. He plays the character like it should be played, but Nolan's characters never being truly drawn out or rounded does not help him any.The same can be said for the rest of the cast. The little girl was marvelous though. I do not want to reveal any piece of the story whatsoever, but i have to say, it is one of the most original scripts i've ever seen.

Ultimately this movie is entertaining. There is no way Nolan can miss that. Another great thing that Nolan excels at is INSPIRING. By the time the credits rolled and people walked out, I sat there still in awe at the strong sense of human will the movie conveys. Personally, I don't think this is Nolan's best. I believe Memento stands as his masterpiece. But with Nolan, everyone has their own favorite movie. Maybe for some, Interstellar will be their favorite movie, for it is really Nolan's most ambitious and visually-striking work.

By the way, Anyone else who even tries to compare Interstellar to "2001: A Space Odyssey" is out of their mind. Kubrick's mission was to create art. Nolan in "Interstellar" sets to awe and inspire its audiences. It is truly a great piece of work.

The best film I have ever seen

[fontenlabrador · 10/10 · 17 April 2019]

All is amazing. I can't describe anything. It's a film that leads you to think about yourself and your plans in your life. I am a real series/movies' lover and... This was awesome.

A good - not great - movie that falls apart the more you think about it.

[shawneofthedead · 7/10 · 7 November 2014]

Not many directors have the clout of Christopher Nolan. Most of them receive notes from their fretting studios: suggestions (or demands) to change plot points or highlight certain characters/actors, which must be adhered to for contractual or financial reasons. With huge, intelligent blockbuster successes like the Dark Knight franchise and Inception, Nolan has deservedly won carte blanche from Warner Bros. for Interstellar - he gets garguantan sums of money and complete autonomy to realise his artistic vision. In effect, he's making an indie movie on a blockbuster scale. Ironically, this lack of oversight might be just what keeps Interstellar - a very good, occasionally brilliant foray into the furthest reaches of our galaxy and beyond - from greatness.

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former pilot and engineer, is now reluctantly scraping together a living as a farmer on a starving Earth. With sandstorms swirling and food supplies dwindling by the day, it doesn't seem likely that Cooper's children, stoic Tom and inquisitive Murphy, will have much of a world left to inherit when they grow up. While investigating a "ghost" in Murphy's bedroom, Cooper deciphers a message that brings him to a top-secret NASA base. Once there, Cooper learns from his former mentor, Dr Brand (Michael Caine), that NASA is looking for solutions to Earth's crisis in other galaxies. A recently-opened wormhole has given NASA and its scientists access to a whole new galaxy of planets. Brand appeals to Cooper to pilot the final and most important mission: to determine whether any of three identified planets can truly host human life. But it's a journey from which Cooper might never return - one that will take him away from his kids and everything he has ever known and loved.

That's not even the half of it – Nolan's narrative is a sprawling, ambitious one that asks heavy metaphysical questions about the position and role of humanity in the universe, filtered through the prism of a father and daughter whose bond transcends time and space. It's shot through with complex scientific theories about wormholes and time travel courtesy of theoretical physicist Kip Thorne (who served as a consultant on the film). Indeed, much of Interstellar plays with such philosophical gravity that one can't help wondering if it's simply too deep a subject to be effectively communicated in a movie that must also create emotional stakes and real characters.

Clocking in at almost three hours, Interstellar pulses with intelligence and occasional bursts of brilliance. The science and emotion of its story works best on each planet they manage to visit, with Nolan crafting some chillingly smart sci-fi moments amidst the human drama experienced by Cooper's crew. As badly as Cooper wants to save enough fuel to make the return trip home, Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway) has both professional and personal stakes in visiting the planet that's furthest away from the wormhole. They trade hope for time, the minutes they use to hunt for salvation translating into the loss of decades with their loved ones. The film is at its best when the members of the Endurance - including David Gyasi's Romilly and Wes Bentley's Doyle - confront one another, and establish contact (or fail to do so) with the scouting teams that preceded them through the wormhole.

But Interstellar also suffers from a bloated and faintly silly final act. The science of it may be well-founded (who knows, after all, what miraculous answers really do lie within a black hole?) and the concept very cool, but it doesn't quite translate as such. Instead, the film hyper-blasts itself into a oddly cheerful (and confusing) ending that feels purely fictional and not at all scientific. There's no denying, either, that Nolan could have carved half an hour or more out of Interstellar without losing any of its narrative or emotional density. Instead, many scenes unfold in an almost obstinately languid fashion, including a moment when Cooper is left gasping for oxygen on the icy terrain of an alien planet. It's pretty evident, too, that Nolan really wanted to make sure his audiences knew how little greenscreen he used to make the film; for no other discernible reason, his camera lingers in extreme close-up - and far too often - on the exterior shells of the various spacecrafts designed for the film.

Nolan can afford the best when it comes to his cast as well, and it shows. McConaughey anchors the film with a gravitas and tenderness quite unknown before his career McConnaissance, and he's ably supported by a steely Hathaway, whose character, just like the film she's in, blends cold, pragmatic science with a churning wealth of emotion. Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon, in roles perhaps best left unspecified to avoid any explicit spoilers, are excellent too - the former radiates quite enough warmth and intelligence to make us believe that she can save the world, and the latter admirably treads in morally grey areas to good effect.

For months before its release, Nolan kept Interstellar firmly under wraps. Everyone speculated that it would be a game-changer - a sci- fi blockbuster as thrilling and thought-provoking as it is entertaining. In some ways, that's true of the final product: Nolan's film is brave, brainy film-making, and it looks absolutely spectacular. But, on closer examination, Interstellar loses some of its gloss and varnish - and beneath it all lies an unwieldy script that meanders a little too long and wastes a little too much of the big, breathtaking ideas that underpin its story.

Take away the visuals and the soundtrack and the feelings of grandeur - and you get utter nonsense

[Diptoman · 5/10 · 8 November 2014]

DISCLAIMER: I'm in general, a huge Nolan fan.

There are times when you can ignore plot holes in films, and times when you can't. You can overlook some when the pacing is fast, or when the film doesn't take itself too seriously. Unfortunately, Interstellar does neither - it's unnecessarily slow and takes itself really, really seriously. And it's full of plot holes, fallacies, paradoxes, and logic taking a beating in general, to fulfill some emotional quotient - which, I must say, worked on most people.

Let's start with the whole premise the film is based on - in the future, earth's resources have been drained, and everyone has turned into farmers - with conscious efforts to eradicate science education in general to force people to go into farming. Let's take a moment here to realize just how ridiculous that premise is.

Moving on - our protagonist is a genius NASA astronaut/engineer turned farmer (because, y'know, everyone's a farmer) - and the first half mostly shows him bonding with his family, with completely unnecessary scenes to prolong the film - like taking down a lost drone (by pointing things towards it), which had no relation to the story later whatsoever. Then our hero stumbles onto a NASA facility (if you aren't a farmer, you're with NASA) after decoding things which occurred due to... uhh, gravitational anomalies. This NASA facility, as claimed by uberscientist Michael Caine, was humanity's best kept secret, though 5 minutes into that - all our hero's family members were informed about it.

So anyways, since our hero stumbled into the facility anyway, uberscientist decides to send him into space to save humanity because, well, just like that. We get to see our hero saying goodbye to his family and immediate fast forward - he's in space! No training, no nothing! Economic storytelling, certainly, and it would've worked, had the other "scientists" on board later didn't have to explain things and plans to him on the fly (which, for all intents and purposes, should've been explained before leaving) - and having conversations that were mostly like what college freshmen studying physics would have. (Oh, and discussions about love! Love transcending all dimensions - when humanity is at stake!)

Anyway, so future earth has the technology to do all this, and build robot A.I.s which were more human than most humans, but it doesn't have doctors any more, or any other visible technological advancements for that matter. All efforts to save humanity were concentrated on ONE and just ONE uberscientist, who'd been working on his cure-all formula for years. And every other scientist have just been waiting for him to solve it all himself! (And what's this? Other nations you ask? Well there ain't no other nation apart from the USA to do earth saving, is there?) This is something I particularly take offense to, scientists don't work that way.

So, Nolan throws more science at us on the fly, which everyone dodges. But in the end, everything is explained by, yep, five dimensional space! Somehow our hero gets into such a space, goes back in time (opening up a ton of paradoxes), behind a bookshelf in 5D space, and uses vague messages to communicate with his daughter back in time, instead of giving clear messages like "I'm your father back in time". His daughter, when all grown up - suddenly realizes that it was his father all along and we get no clue as to how she got to that conclusion - but hey, PLOT TWIST! And with that new information, she becomes the new uberscientist, saving everyone. How? By making an orbiting space station around Saturn (for which you somehow required "quantum data" from other galaxies and black holes?). So okay uhh... it's complicated.

There are however, some great visuals (3D would've done justice) and soundtrack in this, and hence the 5 - but ultimately nothing we haven't seen before. Beyond all that glitter, there's no gold - just a forgettable movie.

Glad i didn't watch the trailer

[christopher-stiedl · 10/10 · 14 December 2015]

Interstellar - Review

Certain things in life are precious. Very precious. And so was the Film for me.

Why you might ask?

Well seldom do i get the chance where i find myself sitting in a cinema anxious and intrigued by what might come. In a time where trailers are omnipresent and going to the movies without having seen one seems unreasonable, outright stupid to some i had the magical chance to find myself in front of the IMAX on a cold November night with 2 tickets to Interstellar. My only knowledge was that Nolan directed it and McConaughey stars in it.

The images were brilliant the acting was top notch and everything was blended together by Hans Zimmer and his Music. 169 minutes flew by me with my eyes fixed on the screen and my heart racing. And there it was.. The ending. I couldn't believe it . I was reliving, rethinking the movie while the credit scenes rolled enjoying the moment, the smell of popcorn, my comfortable seat and what do i see next to me? Ninety percent of the people in the cinema rushing outside after the first second of the credit scenes.

..

.

Well apparently people enjoy movies different than i do. Maybe i should start watching trailers again :).

I would rate 11/10

[mysteryvoiceman · 10/10 · 24 June 2018]

I hadn't seen this but movie and caught it on a flight back from the DR. One of my favorite movies of all time. I would give the first half of the movie an 11/10, just completely enjoyed it as a sci fi/ thriller(in the sense of so much always being on the line). I loved the acting and just yeah, a great movie and one you should go see if you never have

Nolan's masterpiece, one of the best sci-fi movie

[pipoulefr · 10/10 · 5 November 2014]

I have been a cinema lover for years, read a lot of reviews on IMDb and everywhere, and never found the right movie to write my first review. I always thought I would wait for THE movie.

And this is IT!

When I first heard that Nolan was preparing a sci-fi movie, I felt like a kid again, waiting for his Christmas gift under the tree. I knew it would become a classic. And I'm sure it will.

First of all, it is incredibly beautiful to watch. Honestly, it was so beautiful that I felt like I was sucked into the movie. The way Nolan decided to show some scenes really remind me of 2001 A Space Odyssey (actually many things will probably remind you of this movie). We can feel the talent of Christopher Nolan, just by looking at the way it is filmed. The techniques he used contribute to create that visual environment in a believable way.

The sound environment is just mesmerizing. It is a very important part of the movie, because some scenes take place in space, and Noland just found the right way to use sound. The soundtrack (made by the great Hans Zimmer) is breathtaking, epic, amazing, unreal. I could find a lot more adjectives to qualify it, but you have to hear it to understand how epic they are.

These two important parts (image and sound) create a stunning atmosphere. You will forget you are in a movie theater, and you will be lost in space, sucked into the adventures of this new Space Odyssey, begging for more. It is a truly unique experience. I can say that I have never felt something like that in a movie theater (at least not for the past ten years).

Then, of course, the cast. First of all, Matthew McConaughey. I discovered this actor in Tropic Thunder, but he didn't really convince me, though he was quite funny. Then I saw Dallas Buyers Club. Since that movie, I love him. In this movie... Well, he is the movie. I exaggerate a bit, since there are other great actors (some even unexpected with a special guest) who play extremely well. But he is just what was needed to feel the human part of the story (which is very important in Interstellar). He is capable of making us feel so many different emotions all along the story, as a father, as a human. Anne Hathaway was very convincing, all together the actors managed to create some harmony, which makes the human interactions credible. Caine, Chastaing and Affleck are a perfect choice. And then there is... The special guest, I will call him "X". His role, which could be seen as a minor role, is actually much more important than that. He proves, once again, that he is a great actor. Watch and see.

And finally, the scenario/story. I won't spoil anything here; I'll just try to convince you how great it is. Nolan is known to revolutionize everything when he tries a new genre in cinema. Well, once again he did it. With The Dark Knight he revolutionized the superhero genre. With Interstellar he's revolutionizing the sci-fi genre in cinema. From what I heard, he worked with a physicist (in gravitational physics and astrophysics) to help him with that movie. And we can feel and see it. During the fifties, Asimov laid the foundations of modern science fiction. Lucas and Kubrick did the same in cinema. Today, Nolan is laying the new foundations of the genre in cinema, proving that cinema is still at the beginning of what can be done (brace yourselves my friends, we have not seen anything yet).

Why? Well, simply because we only know a few things about space, some things can't be proved for the moment, so we can use theory, and make the best of it. That is exactly what Nolan did. He used theories that exist today, and made a movie about mankind, about pioneers, about humanity, about us.

Because, in spite of all the sci-fi aspect, it is a story about humanity. McConaughey, Hathaway, and mainly "X", will managed to convince you about that.

My rating for this movie can only be a 10, because in itself, it is a beginning for a new kind of cinema. It IS a classic. Those who say "we can't compare this movie to 2001 Space Odyssey, nor can we compare Nolan to Kubrick" are wrong. We can, and we should. Talented people don't live only in the past, some genius live today, among us. And Nolan is one of them. Many say that he is overrated. I truly don't think so. Only time will answer that.

This is the sci-fi movie of the decade, and probably the best movie Nolan ever made. Just go for it, without a second thought.

The best of all Time

[evolvingh · 10/10 · 28 August 2020]

There is not even a single day I don't think of this movie, it's scenes , it has a profound impact on me and it shall remain with me forever.

A journey across the galaxy to save humanity

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 27 January 2016]

Set in a future where crop species are going extinct one after another former test pilot Joseph Cooper is now a farmer growing corn. His daughter Murphey thinks there is a ghost in her room; Cooper doesn't believe in ghosts but accepts that something is there when the dust on the floor is a set of coordinates in binary form. He goes to that location and finds himself at a NASA base where he learns of a secret programme to find another habitable world involving a wormhole discovered near Saturn. He is asked to take part in a mission to find the best planet out of three orbiting a black hole; each of which has a scientist who went on a one way mission sending data back. The plan is to find a world to transfer humanity to but if that is impossible there is a back-up plan for the crew to raise the 5000 embryos stored aboard their ship. Time is an issue as it moves at a different rate near the black hole; this means that as hours pass for Cooper years are passing back on Earth.

This film starts at a gentle pace gradually explaining what has happened to the Earth before getting the mission to save the world started; this means the separation of Cooper and Murphey is more emotional. Once the mission is underway there is plenty of tension, including some particularly gripping moments on the second planet they visit. The small cast does a fine job; especially Matthew McConaughey, who plays Cooper; Anne Hathaway, who plays Amelia Brand a scientist aboard the mission; and Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain, who play the younger and older Murphey. The effects looked great, as one would expect in a film from Christopher Nolan, and I was pleased that space was depicted as silent; something that is both scientifically correct but also more impressive. Things do get a little confusing near the end but in a way that made me want to watch again rather than causing frustration.

Overall I'd recommend this to somebody looking for intelligent science fiction in the mould of '2001 – A Space Odyssey'… although this has more emotion to it than that classic.

Mankind Achievement

[AhmadAlRubaie84 · 10/10 · 6 October 2019]

THIS IS A MANKIND ACHIEVEMENT.

THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE.

IS ANYONE HAS DOUBT?

Emotionally captivating and intellectually challenging

[Gordon-11 · 6 November 2014]

This film tells the story of an ex-pilot in a world full of dust storms. He is chosen to travel to the uncharted parts of the space in search for a new habitable planet.

"Interstellar" is a long film, and the first two hours of it does not seem like a typical Christopher Nolan film. Most of the scenes are (literally) down to Earth, with no fancy visual effects. It spends much time building up the story, telling the story of a father and his daughter who sees 'ghost' in her bedroom. Through this ghost, one thing led to another, and the man is in space. When the film is not down on Earth, it looks more like a disaster film. The first adventure is a spectacular feat involving water. It also introduces the physics of relativity, on how time slows down in another world, leading to a misguided decision of the astronauts in retrospect. This sets the foundation for future plot involving more relativity.

As the film progresses, there is more adventure, both in the form of adrenaline pumping adventure and humanity and integrity testing conditions. Matt Damon's character forms a central subplot that makes me reflect on what lengths would people go in order to achieve a certain goal. It reflects on the reality that people are driven by egocentric instincts. It is not a pretty truth, but it tells that human are not idealistic creatures.

The final half an hour is what a typical Christopher Nolan film is like. It makes me hold my breath because it is so intense, both emotionally and cognitively. The ending gives me inexplicable exhilaration. Things come to a full circle, and it is filled with joy.

It is not a film for everyone, as the story is long and takes a lot of time to build. Two people walked out of the cinema an hour into the film, and someone sitting behind me remarked after the film ended that he opined it was the most boring Christopher Nolan film ever. For me, I enjoyed "Interstellar" thoroughly, because it is emotionally captivating and intellectually challenging.

Bit too overrated

[rtneu · 6/10 · 11 November 2014]

I am sorry but found this movie to be highly over rated. It was high on visual effects but low on the content in terms of script, story and the future of the world basically.I am sure it will grab few awards in these categories.

There was a similar hype around Avatar but when I saw Avatar, it had something new to offer. Interstellar doesn't offer anything new as such.If you put the movie Gravity and the movie Frequency together in 5D, wormhole angle, you have Intersetllar.In fact I found Frequency to be highly underrated movie.

Acting/Direction is good but wished the script were much more stronger.

Interstellar : An open-hearted & mastered Human Odyssey

[tardieu-felix · 10/10 · 1 November 2014]

The film begins by establishing at his own rhythm its ambitions: men overexploited land resources, which is why the only goal they have left is to survive. This life is not enough for Cooper, brilliantly played by McConaughey who gave body and soul to this character. But all of this wouldn't hold without the total control of Christopher Nolan, based on the languishing soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, the luminous and impenetrable photography of Hoyte Van Hoytema, and the sincerity of Nolan's directing. He manages to film the characters and to find the right cut at the right time, always in harmony with Hans Zimmer's soundtrack, to give the film an aspiring and inspiring dimension that went missing for many many years. Thus we are transported into the same cockpit that Cooper, we feel the same remorse that he can already feel, we feel the same gravity, and we feel the same fear of the unknown melted with the force of his will. All of this is brilliantly illustrated in a very simple directing choice, which from my point of view is the decisive impetus of the film: to directly jump from when Cooper leaves in his truck, leaving his family behind him, to Endurance taking off. This simple editing decision allows Nolan to give an original movement to his film, and the musical crescendo makes us physically feel the sentimental break between two parts of the film.

You don't necessarily have to understand it immediately : The film will raise questions in you, such as : what is it to be a human being, is there some physical limitations to our humanity, how far could we be willing to go to determine knowledge, is there other dimensions that we can not access to, and above all: what is the nature of this intact and immutable bond that unites us to others wherever we are in the universe ? Is this bond only intelligible, or is it also tangible ? All these questions resonate in harmony in Nolan's Interstellar.

Interstellar is itself a crescendo, increasing sensitivity and creativity. I use the term deliberately because it goes crescendo with the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, which is one of the most beautiful music ever scored for a sci-fi movie. We are witnessing a perfect musical arrangement, a total symbiosis, a bit like the music of Gravity which had understood very well how to match the image and the rhythm of a sequence to its own musicality. Zimmer's crescendos are giving a new powerful breath to every new scene, whether it is in visually powerful & intense moments or in more intimate moments; it intrudes into our momentary feelings and sensations, and manages to extend them, sometimes almost to choking, before resting on the balance of the film frame along with our mind spell-bounded.

I have seen all the talent of the director that I knew he was outside the norm, but whom I did not know his capacity to reinvent itself. Because this is it: Interstellar is not an action movie, not really a blockbuster, and it goes not entirely but mostly again the expectations of common people. It's much more than that. This is much more than just a sci-fi movie. It is unlike any of his previous films. Some hoped to see Interstellar as Christopher Nolan's best film, and they were disappointed that this was not the case. And indeed, THIS IS NOT THE BEST FILM of Christopher Nolan. Because in a way, IT IS HIS FIRST FILM. I'm not saying that Interstellar is not as good as his other films, it goes beyond all of them. But to me Interstellar is the first film of a new stage in Nolan's filmography ; it is a masterpiece as it the beginning of a work ahead. Interstellar is the proof that Nolan has finally managed, despite all the expectations that were placed on him after the success of The Dark Knight, to move away from his own reputation to create a personal work, original, humble, sincere and deeply, meticulously, measured.

Now, in this third act of the film, it all comes to life with unparalleled strength. Nolan poses and answers questions that raise others. But he focuses his attention on the great mystery of love, that emotional bond that can unite men and sometimes separate them. But Nolan is the only one that can successfully speak of love from a being to another in a film that mainly takes place in a another galaxy. From my point of view, only Solaris by Steven Soderbergh (2002), unfortunately neglected by the audience, was able to accomplish that. Interstellar is based on a premise which is the following : from terrestrial dust to the depths of space and time, we can never be separated from who we are as individuals and as a species, as we always leave a part of ourselves "behind" us. In other words, I could say that this is a human story, and even if we go as far as we want to, if we travel through the universe believing that we can be detached of the one we are fond of, we will only get closer to them. Because the separation, and thus the distance and time, can only ultimately reinforce the relationship between the people who really love each other. Because it is going to the end of the world, when we reach the end of ourselves, that we reach the singularity of the "black hole beyond the horizon" * : it is our humanity. No, I wasn't been able to find any bad flaws in the film. Not one, and I'm still looking. After all, Interstellar is like gravity, "all it takes is a little push ! "

*you'll have to see the movie to figure that one out.

Félix Tardieu, November 1st, 2014

Pretty Pictures do not make up for the lack of story

[craig-340-777546 · 6/10 · 20 May 2015]

You would think the story is adventurous, exciting, beautiful! Its not at all what I had hoped. It is slow, dark as a black hole, loud as an old Barton Theater Organ playing Fugue in D Minor interesting as a litter box.

The story is thin.....I can't blame the actors, the entire plot is pretty simple. Can't inhabit earth, find somewhere else to live. Interstellar is a repeat of time continuum stories you have heard or seen before, I wont spoil it, but it's all been told before.

Dialog is dreary, slow, ponderous. The comparison to 2001 is preposterous. The wonder and awe of 2001 and other movies before it was it had never been done it was the first. 2001 was all done without the advanced technology we have in computer imagery we have today. 2001 was a pioneering effort. This is not at all pioneering, inventive or surprising if you read science fiction at all.

The imagery is not all that unique or impressive. The constant thumping and droning of background music was mind numbing. Most of the show I was trying to nod off, but for the LOUD THEATER ORGAN playing in the background I probably would have.

I have to agree with some of the reviewers who thought the whole show was ridiculous and in some ways they are right. Somehow science has advanced enough to create interstellar space travel but not far enough to build power cells, clean power, they are still burning fossil fuels. The robots are Lego like, silly looking clunks of stainless steel....it is all so ridiculous.

I would not call this HORRIBLE or AWFUL I have seen some real stinkers over the years. Interstellar is not so ridiculous it is a parody of a good movie it is just not a great movie some had hoped it to be.

Nearly 50 years to go nowhere.

[greebo-01548 · 4/10 · 20 March 2022]

The premise here is relativity. Time vs gravity. The story, if there is one, is pointless. Christopher Nolan has surpassed Stanley Kubrick in making a visually stunning but ultimately pointless piece of Sci Fi nonsense. Nobody can give me a convincing explanation of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but in 1968 it was jaw dropping. Interstellar's problem is we've seen it all before, and Nolan is not Kubrick.

Perhaps there is an analogy of the futility of life here, but it's spurious at best.

This ranks with Prometheus as an incredibly beautiful waste of my time.