"Enjoy life, without the stress of living". With this slogan the telecom firm Bash tries to sell new software to its customers. Yes, its a funny line, but unfortunately it's one of the very few times I had to smile during 'Don't Look Up'.
It's a pity, because the premise of 'Don't Look Up' is perfect for a satirical movie. A huge comet is on a collission course with planet Earth, and the impact is 6 months from now. The similarities with climate warming are clear: politicians refuse to listen to scientists and concerned citizens. But the urgence of the message doesn't make the film any better.
The film is a satirical take on almost everything that goes wrong in the US. Ignorant politicians, corporate lobbying, distrust in science, dominance of social media, stupid talk show hosts, celebrity culture, you name it. The film makes quite a few interesting points about the dangers of populism and modern media culture. That's the good news. The bad news is that the film makers are so eager to get their point across, that it's almost annoying.
Satire is a very difficult genre. A well made satirical movie finds a subtle balance between poking fun with the powers that be, and delivering a message about things going wrong.
In 'Don't Look Up', the balance is gone. The parts that are meant to be funny are too outrageous, and the message is too loud and too clear. This doesn't mean the film is a complete failure. I enjoyed watching it, because the story is so over the top, and the film never slows down. But overall, it could have been better when the film makers would have chosen a more subtle approach. Also, lead actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are not really well suited for satirical roles. On the other hand, I enjoyed Jonah Hill. He is hilarious as the chief-of-staff and son of the president.
Only at the end there is a good part in the film, when the population gets divided between those who look up towards the 'planet killing' comet, and those who don't, because they are denying the danger. They identify themselves with buttons showing arrows pointing upwards and downwards. This segment contains some really funny parts, but it is already too late to save the film. Although I must say: the epilogue, after the credits, is worth waiting for.
It's a pity, because the premise of 'Don't Look Up' is perfect for a satirical movie. A huge comet is on a collission course with planet Earth, and the impact is 6 months from now. The similarities with climate warming are clear: politicians refuse to listen to scientists and concerned citizens. But the urgence of the message doesn't make the film any better.
The film is a satirical take on almost everything that goes wrong in the US. Ignorant politicians, corporate lobbying, distrust in science, dominance of social media, stupid talk show hosts, celebrity culture, you name it. The film makes quite a few interesting points about the dangers of populism and modern media culture. That's the good news. The bad news is that the film makers are so eager to get their point across, that it's almost annoying.
Satire is a very difficult genre. A well made satirical movie finds a subtle balance between poking fun with the powers that be, and delivering a message about things going wrong.
In 'Don't Look Up', the balance is gone. The parts that are meant to be funny are too outrageous, and the message is too loud and too clear. This doesn't mean the film is a complete failure. I enjoyed watching it, because the story is so over the top, and the film never slows down. But overall, it could have been better when the film makers would have chosen a more subtle approach. Also, lead actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are not really well suited for satirical roles. On the other hand, I enjoyed Jonah Hill. He is hilarious as the chief-of-staff and son of the president.
Only at the end there is a good part in the film, when the population gets divided between those who look up towards the 'planet killing' comet, and those who don't, because they are denying the danger. They identify themselves with buttons showing arrows pointing upwards and downwards. This segment contains some really funny parts, but it is already too late to save the film. Although I must say: the epilogue, after the credits, is worth waiting for.