Interstellar's been out for quite some time now, but while this review is a month too late, I thought that I needed some research on the subject matters before I could give a full review based on my better understandings. Ever since the teaser trailer came out late last year, I've been trying to avoid any further trailers to keep myself in the dark and not spoiled until the film actually arrived last month, just like how Inception wow-ed my teenage mind in 2010 (well, I didn't have the convenience of YouTube back then). Back to the topic in hand, Interstellar is the latest offering from the Christopher Nolan, probably the best film visionary of our time since Steven Spielberg (coincidentally, Interstellar was originally going to have Spielberg as director). After delivering well-received mega hits such as Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, does Interstellar deserve to join them on the pantheon of movie greatness?

To not delve too much into the story, the film kicks right off in the not so distant future, where the lack of crops has forced much of the Earth's population to labour into agriculture. Cooper, a widowed astronaut, is then given the chance to save the future of mankind by travelling through a newly-discovered wormhole to survey habitable new planets. From there on, some controversies are unraveled and a certain plot twist that will make you bewildered and saddened at the same time., while the film also explores the bond between Cooper and his daughter Murph which is sure to make you teary-eyed. Written by both Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan, Interstellar is their most ambitious project by far, and while the execution is a solid effort, its story (especially its final act) might be very hard to digest for some (this writer included).

Remember back in 2010, when everyone had to watch Inception at least twice to really get what was going on? Interstellar probably needs double the amount of viewing to truly grasp the concepts and story, and that is what makes a Christopher Nolan movie so enticing, as he mixes in beautiful sci-fi visuals with plenty of thought-provoking agendas. Speaking of Inception, it's difficult to compare between the two, as one focuses towards our minds, while one expands into the remnants of space travel. Inception also benefits from being the more grounded and action-oriented of the two, while Interstellar may struggle to get audience engrossed at times even with the sweet eye candy (by eye candy I mean space).

The roster of cast seemingly expands halfway through the film, as we switch between Cooper's adventures in outer space with conditions on Earth. While we have Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway as the obvious leads, there's frequent Nolan-collaborator Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain in an important yet spoiler-y role. Other than the four (who were the only ones advertised in the movie's marketing materials),  there's also the humorous John Lithgow, who plays Cooper's sarcastic father-in-law, and Casey Affleck as a farmer in the future. Finally, another A-lister appears quite late into the film, and should be a real treat once it's revealed, though if you have been following casting news for this movie you might have already guessed who it is.

The scenes in this movie are absolutely wonderful, be it CG-generated atmospheres like the wormhole and black hole scenes, or the Earth life locales such as the massive corn fields and Iceland glaciers, making it one of the most beautiful space movies in recent memory, even better than the already-stunning Gravity (should have been a treat to watch in IMAX). Credit must be given to Nolan and his new cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who's taken over cinematography duties from Wally Pfister, who has gone on for "much better" pastures. The score is also a defining trait of a Nolan flick, with Han Zimmer returning yet again to score what is a very emotionally-fueled film soundtrack, especially his theme 'S.T.A.Y.'.

While I did enjoy Interstellar, at times I found it hard to love it, as it's a more difficult film to wrap your head around, or it was just me hoping for something in the vein of Inception, which is understandable like simple arithmetic's by comparison. Hence this may beg the question: is a movie good even if it confuses the audience? Despite its setbacks, Interstellar can be taken as a glass of fine old wine, as it is the kind of movie that only gets better with every viewing, and is bound to be regarded as a modern classic down the years. Now, with space already explored, where can Nolan go next? That may be the greatest Nolan head-scratcher of them all.

7.0/10

P.S. Watch this excellent explanation video by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who has shed a lot of light on the concept of the ending (obvious spoilers inside!)