Nolan takes viewers out of this world

Humankind was born on earth. We have grown and matured here on this tiny blue planet near the heart of the Milky Way. It is the only home we have ever known.
But what if we had to leave? What if our planet could no longer care for us? What if we had to turn to the vastness of space to find a new home?
Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” presents us with just such a scenario. Faced with overpopulation, widespread crop failure, and frequent dust storms, Earth’s time as humanity’s home is coming to a close. In order to survive, a team of astronauts must literally battle time and space to find a new planet capable of supporting our species.
Enter Cooper (Mathew McConauhey), a test pilot who became a farmer in the wake of the food shortages. His unique skills make him an invaluable asset, and Nasa’s Dr. Brand (Michael Caine) persuades him to join in a mission to a distant galaxy in order to begin colonizing a new home world.
Success and survival are uncertain, but Cooper is driven by the opportunity to once again do the piloting he loves so dearly, as well as the desire to secure a future for family.
He leaves his planet and two children behind and joins astronauts Amelia (Anne Hathaway), Romilly (David Gyasi), and Doyle (Wes Bently), as well as robots TARS and CASE on their voyage.
They are all brave and willing, but such traits may not be enough to overcome the unexpected challenges of deep space and the fragility of their own nature.
It’s a gripping story, and one deeply rooted in contemporary concerns of sustainability and environmental limits, but it’s not the tale that sets “Interstellar” apart, it’s the way it’s told.
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Amelia (Anne Hathaway) prepares for liftoff on a mission to save the human race in director Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Interstellar.”[/caption]Every element of the film is used carefully and one gets the idea that Nolan deliberated each component. There are no mistakes.
It’s a film that intends to fully immerse you. Dialogue is lost under blaring external noise; other times it is swallowed by the void of space, and the viewer can only see as far as those on screen.
Those in the audience are thrown into the mission alongside Cooper, experiencing the awe and terror of space in much the same way he does.
It’s a technique that could backfire, and easily alienate those used to a more traditional movie-going experience, but to tell the story any other way would ruin what makes “Interstellar” special.
Seeing, hearing, and learning alongside the characters can be stressful at times, especially in such a fast-paced and suspenseful film, but it creates a strong attachment between the viewer and the characters and makes them easier to understand. We feel their successes almost as our own, and harbor a greater fear for their failure.
Nolan’s attention to detail also allowed him to infuse elements of the film with metaphors and messages in keeping with the larger plot.
For example, much of the story deals with time and presents it as a commodity; a resource that once wasted can never be taken back. As such the film is paced with this in mind, skipping over lesser plot points in order to save screen time for more important scenes. Though it clocks in at just under three hours, you don’t feel that a second of time was wasted.
“Interstellar” is a work of science fiction memorable enough to stand alongside the greats of the genre, providing both story and spectacle.
Whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, “Interstellar” is one of Nolan’s greatest works to date and a feat of cinema that deserves to be seen.
It’s fresh, scientifically accurate, and contains a refreshing optimism for humanity that can be difficult to find in contemporary genre science fiction.
As Cooper put it, “Our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, cause our destiny lies above us.”