What Am I Missing ?

I just saw ” Interstellar”, the 2014 movie starring Matthew McConaghy and I am mystified by the laudatory reviews it received. Set some time in the future when life on Earth is getting increasingly impossible, the movie is about a desperate quest to connect with aliens in another galaxy and save mankind. Visually and technically, it is a treat. Early on, the scenes of small town America, where people are barely hanging on as life deteriorates amid dust storms and blighted crops evokes memories of the Dust Bowl. Later, as Cooper( McConaghy) and his crew search for intelligent life in far-off worlds, the depiction of these planets and their harsh conditions is stunning. However, the storyline left me mystified. How exactly does Cooper make it back to Earth and how do the ecological problems on Earth get resolved? For a movie that is almost three hours long, the movie ends with a lot of unanswered questions.

In my opinion, Interstellar deserves perhaps two stars out of five. I was amazed therefore to find that most viewers liked it; almost 16,000 of them gave it four stars. I don’t get it. What am I missing ? My son and my nephews liked Interstellar; some even loved it. Is this because of the generation gap? Am I unable to appreciate new ways of telling a story, or understanding futuristic concepts?

I know I am not alone in my predicament. A few years ago, my cousin went to the movies and saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ( starring Bill Murray) and he hated it. His children , on the other hand, loved it. This has happened with other movies too. My kids loved The 40 year Old Virgin; I was turned off by it. Then again, I don’t understand why so many movies have to be ” dark”. The newer Batman movies and even the later installments of the Harry Potter series are good examples of this trend.

I guess I will just have to accept that tastes have changed and that I am no longer in sync. Luckily, there are enough other movies and TV shows to keep me interested..