Available at Amazon.com
Directed by
Davis Guggenheim
Cast:
Al Gore
It says a lot about the power of cinema that one of the most moving films of the year is simply a man speaking in front of a slideshow. It’s easy to be wary of An Inconvenient Truth going into it. The idea of listening to Al Gore speaking about global warming for an hour and forty minutes doesn’t exactly sound like the most exciting ways to spend the afternoon. Plus, who wants to be depressed about the world ending, when we could be out there enjoying what time we have left? Why not check out an Adam Sandler comedy instead?
Well, despite what misconceptions about the movie or even about Gore as a person, An Inconvenient Truth is a tremendous picture, with a powerful message of hope that makes you feel as if you could actually get out there and start a revolution. This is a subject that affects all of us, and Gore and Director Davis Guggenheim present it in such a way that it is completely accessible to everyone that watches this movie. While watching An Inconvenient Truth it becomes obvious that despite its simple, straightforward presentation, this is a work of passion that could equal the heart of any Hollywood epic.
The biggest surprise in store for unsuspecting viewers is with Gore himself. This is not the stiff block of wood that ran for President in 2000. Instead, he’s presented here as an extremely charismatic speaker with a true insight to this problem. Cracking jokes and putting his audience at ease, Gore makes you feel as if you are part of the solution instead of part of the problem. He gives you a lot of facts and figures, but they never get overwhelming enough to take away focus from the overall message or make the problem too big that it seems we’ve gone past the point of no return.
Helping with the message are various interludes and Gore’s own testimonials that run throughout the movie. The funniest bit is an animated clip written by Gore’s daughter, Kristin. Taken from the Futurama episode “Crimes of the Hot”, the segment is hilarious as greenhouse gases dressed as gangsters beat up and leave the corpses of the sun’s rays around the Earth. Other segments open up some of the experiences that have helped shape Gore’s views. He talks about his youth and helping grow tobacco as a child, as well as the horror and guilt of losing his sister to lung cancer. We see a man who could have been broken by losing the 2000 Presidential race, but is still fighting for what he believes, hoping to lead by his example.
The film’s final 15 minutes are almost completely devoted to helping his audience know the ways in which they can make a change in this world. This is where the film’s message of change and togetherness join to give the picture a rare strength. Without going too preachy or too commercial, An Inconvenient Truth manages to be entertaining while getting its message across in spades. There may be more exciting pictures that reach theaters and DVD this year, but none with more importance to all of us.
The Video
First I’d like to talk about the film’s DVD case, which is made of recycled paper instead of a plastic shell case. It features many tips to help with the global warming problem and is even a way right off the bat to show you how devoted all involved with this project are in fixing this problem. As for the print, the movie looks awesome, as the film is crystal clear (except for archived footage) from beginning to end. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1
The Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtrack is also well done. There aren’t exactly a lot of huge Action scenes in this movie, so Paramount could have phoned this one in, but the track ends up really nice.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentaries, Featurettes, and Music Video
Audio Commentary with Director Davis Guggenheim – This is a nice enough commentary track. Guggenheim seems more interested in the technical aspects of the production, but is very knowledgeable about how the whole talk went down.
Audio Commentary with Producers Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns, and Lesley Chilcott Also, a nice enough track, the producers talk about how the presentation came together as well as other little tidbits, such as Gore’s daughter Kristine being the one that wrote the Futurama skit about global warming.
An Update with Former Vice-President Al Gore – This goes about 31 minutes and features supplemental information about the discussions in the film. Gore covers more scientific studies that back up his info as well as more information on the state of global warming. A lot of this info has been gathered in between the time that movie completed shooting and this DVd was put together.
The Making Of An Inconvenient Truth – This is about the three day preparation they had to build the set that the film takes place upon. Director Davis Guggenheim goes through the many facets of the production and covers the preparation it took to put the movie together.
Melissa Etheridge’s Music Video – “I Need to Wake Up” – This is the song that plays across the movie’s closing credits.
The Inside Pulse
Don’t be scared by the film’s subject matter, An Inconvenient Truth may be the most important film you see all year. Not packed to the brim with extras, what’s here is exactly what it should be. Conservative or Liberal, this is an important film that is actually trying to change the world.
