INTERSTELLAR

A group of explorers [all American – my only criticism of the movie] make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage. —IMDB

Wow! This is a stunning movie! The IMDB description doesn’t do it justice. INTERSTELLAR is the 2001: A Space Odyssey for this generation – and a darn sight more interesting! It’s a long movie – 169 minutes (2 hours and 50 minutes) – but that time allows for a brilliant, richly evocative, thought-provoking story to be told. And it has one of the most surprising, fresh climaxes I’ve seen in a movie for a long time.

Science fiction, at its best, should explore contemporary themes of significance to humanity – and INTERSTELLAR most certainly does that. What does it mean to be human? How will we deal with the continuing degradation of earth’s climate until humans may not be able to live here anymore? What is science? What is hope and what can we hope in? Where do humans fit in the cosmos? Does space provide another place for us?

The answer provided by INTERSTELLAR leaves any idea of god out of the equation. But the movie is shot through, ultimately, with the hope that humankind can adapt, survive, be reborn from the eschatological ashes of a doomed planet.

The music score (including pipe organs) is superb and unnerving and brings a cathedral-like atmosphere to much of the movie when it occurs in space. And, ultimately, it is love that enables the survival of humanity.

I loved this movie (can you tell)! It is profound and provocative and engaging and suspenseful and hopeful and inspiring. Go see it!

*****