Sabotaje

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a punchy film with a pertinent message.

It follows a group of environmental activists who, you've guessed it, hatch a plot to blow up a pipeline. The plot tracks them as they begin to enact their plan, and also delves into each of their back stories to reveal why they have arrived at this drastic course of action.

It makes for a compelling watch I must say. Each of the characters are interesting and distinct, and delving into their backstories is engaging. The performances are all very solid.

Visually the film is appealing but sparse, with few bells and whistles. It looks rugged and rough which works well.

In terms of pacing it does leave a little to be desired. There are a few troughs, but actually I found the whole thing more thrilling than I was expecting.

The result is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging film with a strong and timely message at its core.

How To Blow Up A Pipeline is sold as a crackling environmental thriller with a message. The fact that it presents the message it has with a hammer doesn't hide the fact that as a film it is just shallow. It is exactly what the title says. It's about a group of climate change activists that plan and carry out the disabling of an oil pipeline in Texas. The problem is that the characters are paper thin. They are just a collection of grievances and slogans, not three dimensional people. I have watched many films like this where I may not agree with the cause or politics of the characters but at least in better movies of this kind I can relate or at least empathize with at least one or some of them. Even though this film uses flashbacks to set up the characters you don't get to know any of them. Those scenes are used to set up and justify their actions which we know is the blowing up of the pipeline. There is no suspense because I didn't care for characters. They are just stereotypes as opposed to fleshed out characters. Each character seems like a bumper sticker representing a particular grievance. This film wants the audience to think about how deep the message is but fails to create compelling characters to support the ambitions of their message.

The film is well made but is content with not really delving into the subject it wants to represent. The filmmakers sabotage their own message by being so superficial.

Grade: C-

I did enjoy 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline', but I couldn't help but want to rewatch 'The East' (dir Batmanglij, 2013), which had a similar structure (re denouement), but the stakes seemed higher in 'The East', and the psychology of the characters were a lot more deep and varied. I think that was because you come at 'The East' from the point of view of an outsider, and you watch her character arc alongside that of the eco-terrorists, and see how interacting with them changes her (and changes you, as a viewer, too).

But, even so, I'm very glad I did watch 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline', and the film made me want to read the source material.

It may not have the most appealing title and there's a conspicuous lack of 'stars' but this independently made 'eco-thriller' may be the best thriller you will see this year. Basically you could say it does what it says on the tin as a group of 'eco-warriors', (good performances from a largely unknown cast), set out to sabotage the pipeline of the title. Think of it as a heist performed by eager, well-intentioned amateurs but with the pipeline standing in for the bank vault while director Daniel Goldhaber displays the same ability as the young John Sayles for eliciting first-rate work from his fresh young cast and for giving the film the feel of a documentary.

It's also genuinely exciting; for starters these guys are dealing with high explosives that could go off at any time with deadly results and secondly, whether or not you agree with their agenda, they remain a sundry bunch of criminals packing weapons and perhaps capable of anything. A neat ending, too, that isn't as predictable as you might think. All in all, one worth seeking out.

It's a tense movie with some good moments, interesting cinematography, and an even better score. However, it didn't live up to the high expectations.

Even I, who agree with the main message, found it to be too one-sided. Other perspectives are not heard, there are no arguments, no pros and cons (when there are - and only about the method - a conclusion is quickly reached). I like movies that make me reflect and not movies that feed me the message with a spoon, forcing me to accept that. The structure is interesting, although cutting the tension doesn't always have the desired effect (which I believe is the same as a cliffhanger on tv shows). Lastly, the characters are too linear, too victimized. We know almost nothing about what sets them apart, we are only left with their motivations - all with direct causes - to do what they want to do. Ok, but didn't make me care a lot about them.

It's an ok, flawed, somewhat interesting little thriller with an important message, but that's all it is.