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I had a couple of quotes I wanted to use as my introduction to this polarizing film. Ultimately I went with the above, not because I think it's a particularly good quote, but first, because I think it encapsulates not only what I see as the main theme of the film, which is to appreciate the things we have before it's too late. The second reason I went with it is because it's not subtle, and if there's something we can say about this film, for better or worse, it's that it is not subtle... at all.
Don't Look Up follows two astronomers (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) that discover a comet headed towards Earth, a "planet killer". As they try to alert everyone, they are surprisingly met with apathy and indifference, from President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) down to the media and the general public.
Written and directed by Adam McKay, the film is supposed to take shots at climate change and the overall reaction to it. However, the same can apply to numerous crisis and situations that have not been properly dealt with like race, gun violence, and obviously the COVID-19 pandemic. In the process, the film also makes fun of political incompetence, pop culture, technology and social media influence.
Much like the issues it tries to tackle, there seems to be no middle ground with it. You're either on board with it, or you're not. I happen to fall in the former category. McKay does throw everything AND the kitchen sink at us, but I think the lack of subtlety works for what he wanted to transmit. I can say I spent most of the film laughing or chuckling at all the things, institutions, trends, and whatnot that they make fun of.
The cast is stacked, and most of them do a great job. Special notes to Streep and Jonah Hill for probably having the funniest bits, but I also think DiCaprio does a great job as the heart of the film. Because of the size of the cast, some characters are underserved and there are bits that fall flat. The film does feel overloaded, and not every jab lands, but what it lands, it lands well... like a comet hitting the Earth, BOOM!
Grade:
DON'T LOOK UP
(2021, McKay)
A film with a title that starts with the letters C or D
(2021, McKay)
A film with a title that starts with the letters C or D
"We really did have everything, didn't we? I mean, when you think about it."
I had a couple of quotes I wanted to use as my introduction to this polarizing film. Ultimately I went with the above, not because I think it's a particularly good quote, but first, because I think it encapsulates not only what I see as the main theme of the film, which is to appreciate the things we have before it's too late. The second reason I went with it is because it's not subtle, and if there's something we can say about this film, for better or worse, it's that it is not subtle... at all.
Don't Look Up follows two astronomers (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) that discover a comet headed towards Earth, a "planet killer". As they try to alert everyone, they are surprisingly met with apathy and indifference, from President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) down to the media and the general public.
Written and directed by Adam McKay, the film is supposed to take shots at climate change and the overall reaction to it. However, the same can apply to numerous crisis and situations that have not been properly dealt with like race, gun violence, and obviously the COVID-19 pandemic. In the process, the film also makes fun of political incompetence, pop culture, technology and social media influence.
Much like the issues it tries to tackle, there seems to be no middle ground with it. You're either on board with it, or you're not. I happen to fall in the former category. McKay does throw everything AND the kitchen sink at us, but I think the lack of subtlety works for what he wanted to transmit. I can say I spent most of the film laughing or chuckling at all the things, institutions, trends, and whatnot that they make fun of.
The cast is stacked, and most of them do a great job. Special notes to Streep and Jonah Hill for probably having the funniest bits, but I also think DiCaprio does a great job as the heart of the film. Because of the size of the cast, some characters are underserved and there are bits that fall flat. The film does feel overloaded, and not every jab lands, but what it lands, it lands well... like a comet hitting the Earth, BOOM!
Grade: