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Directed by: Davis Guggenheim Starring: Al Gore so...i went and saw the sneak preview of Al Gore's new documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth'. I have to say that I was eager to see and hear his words on such a topic, to gain some valuable insight as to what is going on in the word, why, and how we ended up in the spot we have with Global Warming. Well....I was HIGHLY dissapointed in this film. What I got was basically 1.5 hours of hearing sound bytes that we really already knew, no hard evidence to back anything up, except some pictures here and their, and a lot of "he said she said" without backing up the claims. I heard a lot of "Scientists say" or "They say", but we really never hear who these scientists or "they" are. This is the type of film that will just give more ammo to the critical Right to say "bah, look at him, there is STILL no proof". Mr. Gore actually spent more time in the move crying on our shoulders about loosing the elections, sitting in the hospital for a month with his child in the late 80's, and his older sister dying of lung cancer which caused his father to stop growing tobacco. All of which really distracted from the point of global issues at hand. a. there were no credible resources to back anything up he was saying, which would have been helpful, such as interviews of people in the know. All we have is Al's word in this movie which is, in my opinion, a bit shallow. b. There was no list of corporations or entities that are causing this issue within the world. All Al really did was point his finger at the collective "us", saying we have to change, and yet he really never talked about what/how we should change...only that we need to. c. it wanted to be a highly charged Democratic propaganda piece, but it even really failed at that. There was a lot of jabs a both Bush admins and Reagan time periods, but we sort of skipped over the Clinton years, which I am sure there was some skeletons in that closet as well. d. there is a big point in that we see Gore flit across the world in everything from a limo to a giant submarine (which after talking about the frail Arctic shelf and how beautiful it is he bursts through one inside this giant Navy craft.) This gave the Right wing a lot of ammo by pointing their fingers right back at him, and yeah, it is quite obvious that perhaps Gore isn't bying what he is selling at times. All in all, this could have been a powerful film to highlight the growing concern and need to change some ways of thinking, but all it really ended up being was sour grapes and behind the back snickers of "i could have done it better had I been in the Big Seat". I really wanted this to be a good start in a change of our views and perhaps gather the troops to rally for a cause but this isn't the case for this film. My only hope is that another real film maker will take this basic idea and run with it, to make it better, more substantial. RATING: 2 PROS: great topic that needs to have some more solid public display, good imagery CONS: falls flat in execution of ideas, nothing solid to back up information...there are tons of information that was left out which damages the ideals. A good starting spot, but doesn't bring anything new to the court ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116...;fc=1;ft=1;fm=1 eckoelab fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Jun 9, 2006 |
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Jun 9, 2006 17:16
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 03:53 |
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K, this movie was almost completely spot on in the science behind global warming and if they would have left it at that: 5/5. However, Mr. Gore couldn't help himself in trying to put a uneccessary amount of political intertia behind this film. He threw in way to many me me me me me moments when this film should be about us us us. So this detracts and gives it about a 4/5 simply because the issue is too important (and the science was well laid out) to let Mr. Gore's political bullshit ruin it too much. If you do not care about the validity of the science within this movie stop reading here, but if you do, please read on: Most of the graphs (maybe all of them) used in this film were developed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) which is chartered by the UN and the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and this panel is about as reputable as their can be concerning climate scientists. In addition, within my meteorological classes I have seen every single graph he shows in this film so the science he is presenting is not wrong, or at least is not wrong if you believe in the scientific consensus <-- i.e. the IPCC and almost every climate scientist if you ask them (and I have had classes from 4). The historical information presented in this movie is very solid and does show an alarming trend in the atmospheric conditions and temperature. To where that trend takes us in the future is not certain because future anthropogenic activities are not easily predictable and our climate models are not perfect. However, certainty is a bitch when one wants answers concerning any future conditions and even moreso when one wants answers to a question that is inextricably complex. What an Inconvienent Truth gives as its answer to this question is definately not certain, but also is not unreasonable. What my argument is and what I think the argument of this movie should have been (before Gore throws in his political poopiness) is that the mere idea that the horrific predictions of this movie are reasonable should be enough for any rational person to want change and be willing to demand that this change is put into motion, especially WHEN CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
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Jun 13, 2006 09:26
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I think the few political interjections the movie had were overwhelmed by the criticality and importance of the issues at large; in particular, I was under the impression beforehand that global warming was an effect that was going to take hundreds of years to have a significant impact. Unfortunately, this is not the case! I completely disagree that it was mainly a political piece and a "I should've been president" thing. The movie does some backflashing in Gore's life to cover his young life on the farm, his son being involved in a car accident, and of course, his loss in the presidential race. I don't think it was addressed from a "WHY WASN'T I ELECTED" kind of viewpoint, it was just something that happened and he refocused his efforts on other things. I found it to be very educational and sobering. 4.5/5 Jer fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Jun 15, 2006 |
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Jun 15, 2006 19:00
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Quite good, especially compared to many of the "message" documentaries in recent years. The direction is very well-done, and Al himself is pretty entertaining, and generally focusing on facts rather than pointing fingers at eeevil industrialists. The skeletal plot follows Al through a lecture he's giving on global warming, with occasional interludes where he discusses his childhood or something. These closeups are kind of overdone, but they help to break things up a little. 4/5
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Jun 18, 2006 08:58
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I found this movie very engaging and informative, despite the fact that Al Gore isn't the most entertaining public speaker in the world. Regardless of any parts of the movie that may have seemed a little superfluous, namely any of the sections about Gore's life, the actual data and demonstrations of the already happening effects of global warming were spot on, and down right frightening. The combination of the scientific data he shows mixed with the actual photographic evidence of things getting substantially warmer removed any doubt in my mind that global warming could possibly not be real. So basically, I don't see how anyone could believe global warming isn't a reality after seeing this movie, unless they've convinced themselves it isn't real beyond the point of ever listening to anything to the contrary. 4.5/5
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Jun 22, 2006 10:14
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I think this movie if you are already a proponent of global warming that this will further your interest in it, but if you are on the other side, this movie isn't likely to sway your opinion (like my husband who doesn't believe in it). I think there was a real opportunity missed here to educate people. It truly is the frog in hot water illustration - people will by and large say - so what it's 5 degrees warmer this June on average than last June - feels kinda nice. People need to be shocked - they need to see the real impact - the need to see a LOT of people dying from lung cancer before they are on the SMOKING IS BAD bandwagon. I am most surprised that the ice shelf that broke off and melted in 35 DAYS didn't receive greater attention in the media. That seemed like it should be on par with big hurricane or earthquake stories, but since not many people LIVE where that occurred, i guess it isn't as sensational. I did like the allogories to the tabacco industry and the ad about how Doctors smoke Camels advertisment. I DO believe that alternative fuels have been viable for decades and only now are the auto manufacturers producing them - but only as hybrids - as there is still MUCH profit to be made on the oil that still sits inside this earth. And as China enters the marketplace for fossil fuels and begins to mine it's own land - it will continue. I definitely think the big buzz words and new INDUSTRY we will hear about is Carbon Capture & Storage. edit: rating 3.5/5
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Jun 26, 2006 16:54
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eckoelab posted:Directed by: Davis Guggenheim if you go to climatecrisis.net you'll find this excerpt: quote:An Inconvenient Truth is the First Carbon-neutral Documentary
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Jun 26, 2006 16:57
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The movie opens with a shot of a serene river. Gore’s voice floats over it. This is a different Gore, a far cry from the robot who fought – and lost – the 2000 presidential campaign (a fact that gets some attention in the documentary). His voice is passionate; you can tell that he cares deeply about the environment. The scene changes - Gore is now in front of a small audience giving a KeyNote presentation. We learn that Gore the Presenter and Gore the Narrator are one and the same. Gore enraptures his audiences just as well as he shocks them. With An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore has accomplished two things: shedding the “robot” persona that characterized much of his 2000 presidential campaign (more on that later) and providing the audience with undeniable proof that global warming is a problem that demands our immediate attention. The result is a thought provoking, emotional documentary that is mandatory viewing for anyone still skeptical about this important issue. While Gore’s presentation is the centerpiece of the film, director Davis Guggenheim frequently allows his subject candid moments to reflect on important events from his life: inspirational lectures from a college professor, the death of his sister from lung cancer, and the near death of his son from a car accident. These tidbits, which we learn throughout the documentary, help to humanize Gore. Without them, we the viewers would be left with little more than a speech on film. With them, we have a sort of meta-presentation: the presentation itself and a discussion of the elements of Gore’s life that led to the construction of the presentation. Credit director Davis Guggenheim for creating a compelling documentary centered around a presentation given on a PowerBook. Gore claims his film doesn’t have a political agenda, but he readily takes jabs at the 2000 election and members of the Bush administration. Images of the Florida recount – dangling chads, court hearings, etc. - flash on screen. The images are contradictory. Yes, Gore tells the viewer that his election loss caused him to leave politics and focus on the environment, but the images the viewer sees conjure “election controversy” more than they do “election loss.” The documentary’s other problem is it’s the running time. At nearly two hours, the film seems to plod along in certain spots, and the subject matter itself isn’t inherently interesting. But Gore somehow manages to keep the film afloat with a combination of compelling facts and personality. I cared little about the environment before seeing this film, but Gore’s argument had me convinced that this was an important issue. If there is one movie that demands your attention this summer, it is this one – not only because you should care about global warming, but also because this is one of the most even-handed documentaries to come out in the last decade. Rating: 4/5 Rabid Koala fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Jul 8, 2006 |
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Jul 6, 2006 18:05
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An Inconvenient Truth presents an excellent introduction to what global warming is and why we should care about it, for people unfamiliar with the issue. This alone makes it a worthwhile and commendable movie, because the political debate surrounding global warming makes it very difficult to find a reliable summary geared toward people who haven't studied the science. However, I think it was a bad choice to include the sections which focus on Al Gore personally. The movie's goal should be to reach the people who "don't believe in" global warming, and I think it's a safe bet that those people are not generally fans of Al Gore. Delving into his personal life and motivation, I think, will just reinforce their inclination to dismiss the entire film as a political vehicle for Gore. 4/5
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Jul 12, 2006 00:23
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Like others, I loved the movie and the facts it brought up for me but I didn't particularly like the focus on Gore's life specifically. He didn't make enough references to actual events for it to be relevant. Some of the stuff, however, was very well done and I'm not ashamed to say it almost brought me to tears. Here's the things I'm doing to cut down on my impact: - biking to work - buying CFL light bulbs - switching to green power for only a couple bucks more a month 4.5/5
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Jul 27, 2006 05:36
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I felt this movie was very powerful. After seeing it, there is no way you can doubt that global warming is real and will affect us greatly in the future if certian changes are not made. The facts and point brought up are both informative, and moving. Al Gore did a great job with the speech, and was quite funny. He pulled some good ones against the bush administration. It wasn't until the eloquent quote from Winston Churchill that I realized something very important. George Bush is loving retarded. I am in awe that we have allowed someone of Bush's intellect to be the president of the country. The detours into Gore's life were a bit of a distraction, but allowed for the viewer to better understand his viewpoint. PROS: The Facts are indisputable, Clearly Narrated CONS: Dragged in some points, Personal Issues were somewhat irrelevant 4.5/5
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Aug 13, 2006 11:21
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Wow I knew global warming had some severe consequences but not THAT severe, Jesus. I think this will convince quite a few on-the-fencers but I don't think many hard-core opponents will be swayed. 3.5/5
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Sep 15, 2006 18:40
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