Film review: Interstellar (5 out of 5)

And Interstellar is certainly one of those films.

It sports a very impressive cast, is spectacularly shot and has a plot that manages to make its 169 minutes not seem like a life sentence.

Unless director and co-writer Christopher Nolan pulls another masterpiece out of the bag, this may well be the work he is mostly remembered for.

It also has twists and turns that make a wormhole seems like a Roman road.

Plus there’s a killer score that really adds much to the movie.

The story that Christopher Nolan has come up with, alongside his brother Jonathan, sees our worn-out planet dying.

Dust and dirt is taking the Earth over and the greatest skill someone can have is to be a good farmer.

Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a former pilot who is now trying desperately to make his land produce a decent crop.

However, he has a chance to join a group of explorers aiming to use a wormhole to investigate a group of planets that may be the answer to our prayers.

And that’s all I’m going to tell you about the storyline.

I’m sure you can find various spoilers elsewhere online but do yourself a favour and watch this with just the basic knowledge.

You will need to be prepared to listen to talk about relativity and Newton’s laws but the film just about steers away from getting too immersed in the science for its own good.

Instead there’s plenty of action, drama and some amazing special effects, all done without ‘green screen’.

McConaughey must be in with a good shot of an Oscar as he portrays his character with an honesty and sincerity.

There’s one scene as he is in space watching messages from home that will leave a lump in your throat.

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain also pull out all the stops and Michael Caine steps up to the mark once again.

It’s also great to see John Lithgow given a fairly meaty role as Cooper’s dad.

Way back in 1968 my parents took me to see 2001: A Space Odyssey (it was cheaper than hiring a baby-sitter).

I didn’t understand too much then of Stanley Kubrick’s film but could sense this was something special.

I had the same feeling with Interstellar, though I understood a lot more.

Even if you’re not a sci-film fan this movie has plenty more to offer.

It’s epic and makes you think about existence and the important things in life.

And when eventually the DVD is released it will sit very happily next to my copy of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Film details: Interstellar (12A) 169mins

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain

Screening courtesy of Horsham Capitol