Decent sci-fi for the masses

Rating: 6/10 (7 November 2014)

Interstellar contains some of the most magnificent imagery you will see in any film this year; it is gorgeous to look at, technically spectacular, and creatively executed. But there are problems at some of the most basic levels.
What the movie lacks is a believable script and striking, three dimensional characters to propel us onto this journey. And unlike two obvious reference points - Contact and 2001: A Space Odyssey, it doesn't have the scientific authority (i.e. a Carl Sagan or an Arthur C. Clarke) to bring its high minded concept to life in a believable fashion.
Not that a film needs to be scientifically sound to be enjoyable, but Interstellar tries so hard to be profound and amazing that it lags in other crucial areas. Dialogue, pacing, and character development should have been locked in place before they conceived of taking an audience up into space with these people. What makes it all the more frustrating is that so many of the pieces seem to be in place, including a buffet of great actors who pop up with such frequency that we lose count - John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Topher Grace, Michael Caine etc etc all make respective appearances before disappearing entirely from our memories. Best among the bunch is Matthew McConaughey, who does his damned best to wring a performance out of his role as good ol' farmer/physicist Coop, but without the emotional tendrils, he's left drifting. Coop is decidedly McConoughey's least interesting or dynamic role since 2008's Surfer Dude.
There are positives. The film has some moments of real invention - particularly when the crew start making their way through worm holes and black holes. These are the most interesting and beautiful visualizations of these phenomena I have ever seen, and the sheer detail of the visual effects during these sequences is astonishing, and Nolan's choice of slowing down the action long enough for us to reflect on its beauty is in the spirit of 2001's most evocative scenery. The film's score by Hans Zimmer is gorgeous, a hymnal ode to mankind which gives the impression that the entire soundtrack has been filtered through a cathedral.
Like I said, a film like this will predictably shoot up the IMDb's top 200. It's designed for mass appeal, with just enough profundity to appeal to the critics. It will be nominated for lots and lots of stuff. And it should. But personally I want a film that has a bit more integrity at the script level.