Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Interstellar'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There has always been a question in our minds, specifically just how far we would go to save the people we love. We are all sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends and lovers to someone in some capacity and deep down we know that protecting those people closest to us, matters more than anything.  

But we are forced to ask ourselves the question of how far we will go to save and protect them, because we rarely have to do such a thing. We live in a world where yes, bad things happen, but we are rarely put in a situation where we must give it our all to make sure they will make it to see another tomorrow. But if that world was no longer safe, we would finally have to answer that question and that idea, is at the heart of the Christopher Nolan film, Interstellar. 

The planet Earth is dying. Ravaged by dust storms, the planet is no longer nourishing to mankind. One by one the crops we can grow in the soil are dying and it is only a matter of time before the planet can no longer sustain us. But there may be a glimmer of hope. What remains of NASA has discovered a wormhole near Saturn, and they are planning to send a team through it to find mankind a new home.  Now it will be up to the finest pilot NASA has ever known to leave his family behind, to travel further into space than man ever has before, all in the hopes of saving his children, and all of mankind.  

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This is one of those motion pictures that made it difficult for me to leave my expectations at the door simply because Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors and his work is just outstanding. But I wanted to go in with an open mind because this project was so vastly different than anything he has ever done career wise and I'm happy to say that he has delivered a beautiful motion picture that is touching and terrifying all at once. For one, the scenes in space are nothing short of breathtaking and filled with real tension. There's a legitimate sense of terror that these explorers are truly on their own and that creates a danger that is rare for science fiction films. ​

Yet at the same time, this film is about the human condition and our rawest of emotions. The need to love. The need for our families to believe in us and be proud of us and most importantly of all, our need to survive. That theme is obviously one that is front and center but it is handled in wonderful fashion, simply because well, the stakes on earth are high. The same amount of danger you feel for Cooper and his team you feel for the people on Earth as you realize time is running out. Not to mention, there is something extremely noble in seeing Cooper leave so much behind for so many. This is a man who understands what is at stake and his potential sacrifice is so incredibly heroic yet, at no point does he seem or feel like a hero, just someone we can relate to and root for as he goes further than anyone we've ever known to keep his family safe.

As for the science in the motion picture, fear not, you don't need a degree in quantum mechanics or physics to understand what is going on, although you may have to reach back in your brain on grade school physics once or twice, the science is not the focus here.  This is a motion picture that is truly about our humanity. Our fears, our hopes, our dreams and quite frankly our place in the universe, and not to mention, what we mean to one another and the wonders we could accomplish if we work together. This really is a beautiful motion picture and truly Christopher Nolan's most ambitious and visually stunning film to date. This really is a must see film, simply because for a film that has humanity staring down its own extinction, it is filled with hope and endless wonder and a reminder of the beauty we are all capable of.  ​

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