Interstellar marks a critical moment in the career of Christopher Nolan; he has come a long way from being the indie noir director of Memento and Insomnia, to striking gold in the enormously popular Dark Knight franchise. Inception was proof Nolan could successfully tackle a big- budget, original idea outside of the Batman series, but with comic book films behind him, Interstellar has to sell on the promise that Nolan is not a one-hit wonder of big-budget original ideas.

The movie's plot focuses on Cooper, a Southerner and family man who doesn't quite understand why man is turning away from flight. "We used to look up at the stars and wonder about our place in the stars," he says, "now we just look at the ground and see dirt." Matthew McCoughaney shines in the role of Cooper, delivering one of his career-best. Cooper is an everyman, and nothing in this world (or any other) is more important to him than his kids; in particular, his daughter Murphy, played spectacularly by Mackenzie Foy.

Despite great performances from a huge ensemble, beautiful visuals and setting, shot by first- time Nolan cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Let The Right One In), Interstellar features a typical problem in every Nolan movie: too much expository dialogue. It is very obvious in numerous moments that Nolan is trying to feed us information and backstory. My other issue with the opening of the film is pacing. Thought the movie establishes the world and doesn't rush to do so, the movie rushes off into space the moment the idea of interstellar travel is introduced. From the first act, it is unclear whether Interstellar can deliver.

It's in the second act where the movie really begins to blossom. Much of the film from this point on is set in space, and boasts mind-bending special effects as timeless as 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie features some strikingly similar shots, clearly paying homage to the classic space opera. A lot of the shots are wonderful, and Interstellar features the best cinematography in any of his films (sorry Wally Pfister), but a few times, I found myself wondering the purpose of some of these shots of the ship "Endurance". Interstellar reaches for the stars, but in act two still seems unsure of where it may land.

In addition to great visuals, the sound design and score are top-notch. Hans Zimmer does some of his best work, bringing in a score that is both celestial and organic; it perfectly balances tones we normally associate with outer space, while hitting all the right emotional notes. And the movie knows when to be quiet in space; not just outside the ship, but inside. I loved the moments where things were so silent you could hear the background whirring of computers, the slight creaking of the ship, the breath of the characters. The attention to detail in both sight and sound made the movie feel real.

When the plot does finally introduce a "villain" in it's second act, the movie starts to feel it may have overstayed it's welcome. Interstellar runs at 169 minutes, and it's a long one admittedly. Cooper and Amelia, played by a well-cast Anne Hathaway, are finally forced into unforeseeable circumstances, and Christopher Nolan does not hold back. This makes for some heartstring- tugging sequences, and Interstellar may have benefited from stepping on the brakes with some of the emotionally heavy content, but the acting is so good, that it doesn't matter if it's slightly overdone, and it all builds it to a marvelous climax.

Interstellar's third act is as stunning as anything I've ever seen in film. For critics who thought Inception was proof that Christopher Nolan was not very imaginative visually with free reign, Interstellar proves them wrong. Thematically and scientifically, the movie dares to challenge, it dares its audience to follow into the unknown, beyond the horizon. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.

Nolan's blockbuster epic is not perfect, and it's not for the common audience. If you're looking for big action sequences, or looking to turn your brain off for awhile, you're in the wrong movie. It's got some bumps along the way, but Interstellar is visionary for our time, and so bold in its execution, that it is not bogged down by its few flaws. I was thrilled to take the ride. Interstellar is thought-provoking, emotional, cinematic, and a wonder to behold, which in time, should earn its title in the league of great science fiction.

Grade: A+