Anyway, you can’t travel backwards in time according to Einstein, you can only travel faster and slow down relative to everyone else travelling at normal speed.
Now, if that’s all true, then how did I get this idea of time travel as a way of introducing a film about time travel, multiple dimensions and gravity when only 10 minutes ago (or was it 30 seconds?) I was faced with a large mental blank?
See, that’s the great thing about Interstellar, it makes you think. The best science fiction films do. So it comes as no surprise that some of the great sci-films inspired Christopher Nolan who co-wrote and directed the film. Much of the early part of Interstellar feels like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and there are obvious parallels to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Star Wars Episode IV (1977), Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982) are also inspirations, and it shows.
However, for all of Interstellar’s many impressive qualities, it’s not iconic. Indeed, it begs the question, why haven’t there been any iconic science fiction films made in the last 30 years? Well, the answer is probably that we’ve seen it all. All science films now stand on the shoulders of giants and are more or less reinterpretations of some well-known themes.
So be it. While Intersellar lacks the gravitas and mood of some of its forebears, and despite the miscasting of Anne Hathaway, who lacks the gravitas and mood of some of her forebears (Sigourney Weaver being the obvious one),it is still an outstanding achievement.
Now where is that time machine? Should be turning up any minute now …
