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Movie Review
An Inconvenient Truth
By Lee Tistaert Published June 8, 2006
US Release: May 24, 2006
Directed by: Davis Guggenheim
Starring: Al Gore
PG
Running Time: 100 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $23,814,997
Directed by: Davis Guggenheim
Starring: Al Gore
PG
Running Time: 100 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $23,814,997
C-
121 of 177
A seminar about these issues {of global warming} could be quite engrossing, but Gore?s weak onscreen presence makes this feature almost intolerable.
An Inconvenient Truth is a recording of a PowerPoint presentation Al Gore has been giving since 1991 about the current state of global warming and how many of us are unaware of the inevitable; according to Gore, we have ten years until the issue becomes a worldwide crisis. This documentary brings up such critical issues and is intended to be a wakeup call to the world. For environmental activists and supporters of Gore, this will be one tour de force experience. Unfortunately for everyone else, this documentary is so jam-packed with raw facts and recaps of tragedies we?ve already been acquainted with that it ends up being an absolute bore.
This is one of those features that will likely divide people based on political stances; those who love it will frown upon those who don?t, and those who don?t like it will feel as if they saw a completely different feature. However, I don?t entirely believe that films of this nature will always divide people; I was basically a Bush supporter when Fahrenheit 9/11 (B) came out and I still liked that documentary for its cinematic value.
I have found that most documentary filmmakers who have followed in Michael Moore?s path just don?t see the big picture; they may have the facts, but they don?t know how to make it all into a compelling motion picture ? and that?s exactly how I felt about An Inconvenient Truth. Upon agreeing to do this recording, Gore insisted that the PowerPoint display should encompass most of the feature and wanted the presentation to speak for itself. The experience of seeing An Inconvenient Truth is indeed exactly like sitting in on a seminar, but however realistic the feeling is, this feature just doesn?t have any cinematic value; it?s not entertaining, and Gore relies so much on his abundance of data to draw us in that the material just isn?t gripping at all. Most of the feature has no music and mostly just features Gore on a stage, shown in many different angles; it feels completely flat, and Gore?s stiff nature doesn?t help ? he is just not a compelling voice.
As biased as Michael Moore can be, he manages to be an entertaining storyteller and allows for a sufficient amount of comic relief while still enlightening us on his subjects. There?s an emotional core in each of his features and his stories are very exuberantly told (he?s not simply talking on a stage the entire time). Gore cracks a few jokes throughout this talk, but the jokes are so cold and outdated that the moments are just painful. And to make matters worse, the scenes of intimate drama (snapshots depicting Gore?s past) are played with extreme sentimentality (with over-the-top voiceover); this feature preaches to the choir more than most inspirational movies.
Some will claim that the information does speak for itself and that Gore didn?t need a ?style? or a different approach to get his point across; these are, after all, major concerns about the state of the planet. United 93 (B+) is a great example in this case in that it could?ve forced upon itself; showing reenacted clips of the terrorist attacks are likely to produce ?some? type of audience reaction. But that film avoided sentimentality in its storytelling and took big risks with what it showed; the material didn?t speak down to the audience, and its first-hand perspective allowed it to have compelling cinematic value.
The trailer made An Inconvenient Truth look like The Day After Tomorrow, and Gore makes the experience feel like The Hulk (C) if you took out its action sequences. That?s not to say that this documentary needed special effects to make its impact; a seminar about these issues could be quite engrossing, but Gore?s weak onscreen presence makes this feature almost intolerable. The marketing claimed that this is the most shocking documentary we?ll ever see in our lifetime; I was ready to dismiss the film and leave just ten minutes in, and I wish I had done just that.
This is one of those features that will likely divide people based on political stances; those who love it will frown upon those who don?t, and those who don?t like it will feel as if they saw a completely different feature. However, I don?t entirely believe that films of this nature will always divide people; I was basically a Bush supporter when Fahrenheit 9/11 (B) came out and I still liked that documentary for its cinematic value.
I have found that most documentary filmmakers who have followed in Michael Moore?s path just don?t see the big picture; they may have the facts, but they don?t know how to make it all into a compelling motion picture ? and that?s exactly how I felt about An Inconvenient Truth. Upon agreeing to do this recording, Gore insisted that the PowerPoint display should encompass most of the feature and wanted the presentation to speak for itself. The experience of seeing An Inconvenient Truth is indeed exactly like sitting in on a seminar, but however realistic the feeling is, this feature just doesn?t have any cinematic value; it?s not entertaining, and Gore relies so much on his abundance of data to draw us in that the material just isn?t gripping at all. Most of the feature has no music and mostly just features Gore on a stage, shown in many different angles; it feels completely flat, and Gore?s stiff nature doesn?t help ? he is just not a compelling voice.
As biased as Michael Moore can be, he manages to be an entertaining storyteller and allows for a sufficient amount of comic relief while still enlightening us on his subjects. There?s an emotional core in each of his features and his stories are very exuberantly told (he?s not simply talking on a stage the entire time). Gore cracks a few jokes throughout this talk, but the jokes are so cold and outdated that the moments are just painful. And to make matters worse, the scenes of intimate drama (snapshots depicting Gore?s past) are played with extreme sentimentality (with over-the-top voiceover); this feature preaches to the choir more than most inspirational movies.
Some will claim that the information does speak for itself and that Gore didn?t need a ?style? or a different approach to get his point across; these are, after all, major concerns about the state of the planet. United 93 (B+) is a great example in this case in that it could?ve forced upon itself; showing reenacted clips of the terrorist attacks are likely to produce ?some? type of audience reaction. But that film avoided sentimentality in its storytelling and took big risks with what it showed; the material didn?t speak down to the audience, and its first-hand perspective allowed it to have compelling cinematic value.
The trailer made An Inconvenient Truth look like The Day After Tomorrow, and Gore makes the experience feel like The Hulk (C) if you took out its action sequences. That?s not to say that this documentary needed special effects to make its impact; a seminar about these issues could be quite engrossing, but Gore?s weak onscreen presence makes this feature almost intolerable. The marketing claimed that this is the most shocking documentary we?ll ever see in our lifetime; I was ready to dismiss the film and leave just ten minutes in, and I wish I had done just that.
Lee's Grade: C-
Ranked #121 of 177 between Death of a President (#120) and Tokyo Drift (#122) for 2006 movies.
Ranked #121 of 177 between Death of a President (#120) and Tokyo Drift (#122) for 2006 movies.
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
| A | 0.4% | |
| B | 30.0% | |
| C | 61.7% | |
| D | 8.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
'An Inconvenient Truth' Articles
- An Inconvenient Truth Opens
May 25, 2006 The first day tally is powerful considering such a figure is considered monstrous for a Friday when adults can see films more easily. -- Lee Tistaert
