PlanetThoughts

A film filled with 3 (or 4) dimensional human beings undergoing pressures from life, from politics, and from internal drives. Beautifully developed, showing transformation of all the major characters.

A small town or village is shown before the Cultural Revolution hits them. There is love, romance, and small business operations, well-portrayed.

Then new characters show up representing the national and provincial leadership. They too act out their own needs in this societal context.

Finally, after the "Cultural Revolution" has passed, the characters resume their lives, but much has changed--and some things never change.

I am a lover of great cinema - Vertigo, Imitation of Life (1959), Tokyo Story, and other classics, and I found that Don't Look Up captured so much of both human nature and the needs of society and survival at this time, that I would call it a great film, though not so much as an "art" piece but rather as a direct, heartfelt wakeup call to humanity. The movie left me moved and inspired my better self, and that is one way to judge the value of a film.

Rather than using straw men or caricatures, the film shows people of some complexity, but also each person with their own take on how to live life when the planet is under threat. Characters like the singer played by Ariana Grande, and of course the two leading scientists (DiCaprio and Lawrence) during the course of the film have a variety of reactions to the crisis, and all seem to reflect the multiple personas each of us can take own, especially in times of stress and threat.

In other words, this is not simply a political tract in film form, but shows the human nature underlying each of the major characters.

As far as the actual crisis, a comet heading directly towards Earth, it is a hyperbolic and clear reference to climate change, and perhaps to the larger issue of humanity living as if the planet, species, and nature, and finally human beings, are indestructible. Climate change may not be a threat of immediate extinction, but due to its threat to completely disrupt and destabilize the structures of civilizations. It seems to me to be appropriate to reference climate change through the metaphor of a massive comet heading towards the planet.

Last, and not least, I appreciate the moments of intense emotion at key moments throughout the film. The usual fare of movies are diversion of one form or another. Like desserts, we cannot live on them. We can, however, find sustenance in films that touch on our deeper nature. Kudos to all those involved with Don't Look Up.

I don't think my expectations are extreme when it comes to comedy, but this movie basically falls flat, is how I would put it.

To be more specific as to why, here are three reasons:

1) the humor is not very funny; this is first and foremost a failure of the script and plot line 2) Robert Montgomery seems stiff and somewhat uninvolved. I understand that Cary Grant was the first choice for the part, and indeed he would have brought more energy and dare I say, creativity, to the role 3) the story lacks credibility, and seems to wander a great deal. There are many elements with the potential to be side-splitters, but none are taken advantage of, and then the next comes along, and the next, and the next.

I gave this three stars primarily due to an enjoyable, radiant performance by Carole Lombard. Unfortunately, that is not enough to make up for the other lacks in the movie.