Pretentious and mediocre

Rating: 4/10 (12 April 2020)

Interstellar is not a bad film but neither is it the great one suggested by some reviewers.
The basic premise is reasonable although the early coincidences are somewhat farfetched. Nonetheless, the story makes a degree of sense for the first hour, even if it becomes a bit confused at times, but then descends into mostly confusion and ultimately implausibility and even incomprehensibility. It really falls down is in the mumbled dialogue and loud and dreadful 'musical' accompaniment that frequently renders the mumbling almost completely inaudible, even if it could be understood. Whoever is it that thinks loud noise enhances dramatic action, particularly when it drowns whatever dialogue there is ?
McConaughey and Hathaway do almost nothing but mumble and the only bright spot is the far better elocution of other cast members, especially Michael Caine until, that is, he's on his death bed and his words fade into incomprehensibility too.
This is a film of grand designs but poor execution. It could easily have been a true gem but, in the end, is just another pretentious and mediocre film made by a director far too enamoured of the assorted technological gimmicks available to him. The phrase "Less is More" springs to mind and that is certainly the case here.
I give it a mark of 4 because it's a decent idea that could have real traction. On the basis of the film itself and it's pretty limited script, plus the lack of audibility, I'd be stretched to give it 1.
Almost forgot. What more obvious ending could there have been to point to a potential sequel ? What a dreary, boring yet almost inevitable thought.