Sadly, a real disappointment

Rating: 1/10 (26 November 2014)

** MINOR SPOILER **
I was really looking forward to this film. I like movies and I like science fiction. I like most of Christopher Nolan's films. And I think Matthew McConaughey has done some great acting work (True Detective for example). So the film seemed to have all the ingredients that would make it enjoyable.
Sadly though I found it to be a disappointment. I think there are three reasons for this.
First, and foremost, I did not make any emotional connection with the characters. Matthew was supposed to be the hero and protagonist of the film but I didn't connect to him at all. Other characters e.g. the daughter, the grown up son, the Matt Damon character I found irritating. Regardless of the subject matter of a film I need to emotionally connect with the characters in some way.
Secondly, there were too many basic plot points that made no (common) sense (I'm not talking about the science not making "science sense" as that's accepted and okay in a science fiction film). *** SPOILER NEXT** For example Matthew McConaughey turns up at the NASA base and without any credible explanation is told he'll be the pilot of the space ship?**SPOILER ENDS**
Thirdly, I think in attempt to make a serious weighty science fiction film with gravitas, the entire tone of the film became too unremittingly serious...and they omitted to lighten the mood occasionally with a bit of appropriate humour. Take as a comparison The Shawshank Redemption (which currently tops IMDb's greatest movie poll). A great film with gravitas and a serious message, often emotionally dark and harrowing at times..but it uses humour appropriately to balance the tone of the overall film.
So very sadly a real disappointment I'm afraid...and I find myself genuinely puzzled why this film has got such a high IMDb rating.....in exactly the same way (and same reasons) that I was puzzled by the high rating for Skyfall.