For mankind, few endeavors are as dauntingly complex as the colonisation of other planets; an event we are unlikely to have the pleasure of witnessing in our lifetimes.

In Interstellar, celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nolan imagines the possibility of such an endeavor in a future where planet Earth is nearly drained of its food resources, with mankind’s only hope of survival being space colonisation after an exciting scientific discovery.

To call Interstellar an ambitious film would be an understatement; it is perhaps the most sweeping epic to grace the silver screen in years, featuring both the haunting beauty of space travel as well as offering an absorbing examination of the human condition. A film of such grand scope was only perfected once by the late Stanley Kubrick, whose 2001: A Space Odyssey set the blueprint, and few filmmakers have taken on the futile task of matching Kubrick’s cinematic masterpiece.

Second perhaps only to the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar is a sweeping epic that fires the imagination

At the very least, Nolan should be admired for taking on such a herculean project, but sadly, it seems that the director bit off more than he could chew, for as entertaining as this science-fiction film is, the Interstellar engine sputters and coughs regularly, and at times when you least expect it.

From a filmmaker who has brought us narratively strong films such as Memento (2000) and The Dark Knight (2008), Nolan’s storytelling in Interstellar can be surprisingly clumsy. On occasions the dialogue is amusingly bad, dangerously close to chartering the territory where M. Night Shayamalan (Lady in the Water) has tragically planted his flag quite firmly.

To make matters worse, the narrative also flows unnaturally with scenes of needlessly long exposition only designed to bring the audience up to speed. This is especially true at the beginning of the film, where our hero, the widowed space explorer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), has a strangely long political discussion with teachers at his children’s school to set up the film.

Interstellar fires on full thrusters in its second act. Here, the narrative also shakes off the earlier clunkiness as the film begins to bare its soul. In recent news in the real world, when volunteers were sought for the foolhardy mission of colonising Mars, countless people sought to be a part of the mission. If you are wondering how the love of being a pioneer of space exploration can drive human beings to put their lives at risk, then Interstellar may have your answers. It is a love that can’t be put into words, but must be felt instead.

If you are wondering how the love of being a pioneer of space exploration can drive human beings to put their lives at risk, then Interstellar may have your answers. It is a love that can’t be put into words, but must be felt instead.

Thankfully, the performances are good, and alongside Matthew McConaughey, who has hit the stratosphere as far as his career is concerned, Interstellar also features some actors familiar with Nolan’s earlier work such as Michael Caine (Professor Brand) and Anne Hathaway (Amelia Brand). Both play members of a NASA that is a shadow of its former self yet desperate to prevent mankind from hitting extinction.

If Interstellar fumbles in its dialogue it is absolutely mesmerising in its visualisation of space travel, the depiction of other planets beyond our solar system, wormholes, and of course the biggest enigmas known to mankind, black holes. A human being traversing through outer space is as insignificant as an ant crossing the ocean, and Interstellar drives this point home so effectively that it not only inspires awe but a little fear as well. Such scenes are wonderfully complimented by the magnificent score by Hans Zimmer. Meanwhile, some of the science in Interstellar was given a stamp of approval by the rock star of science, Neil deGrasse Tyson (although he did question the logic of colonising a planet near a black hole).

For viewers the most polarising aspect of Interstellar will be its fantastical third act, which will surely open up more debate than Inception, especially for those who paid attention to Dr Mann (Matt Damon)’s speech to Cooper during their altercation in the second act. Unfortunately, the ending uses scientific theory like a magic wand, neatly tying up all the plot holes like a cheap magic trick.

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language)

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 30th, 2014