A searingly refreshing take on the state of world politics. Don't Look Up's premise is simple: an apocalyptic event that is being ignored by the world's elite and politicians (sound familiar?)
The broad scope of the film on the page makes its execution a challenging task but it's one that McKay pulls off with aplomb. Don't Look Up is filled with laugh out loud moments but manages to sneak in a moment of brevity that makes you consider what you treasure most in this world.
Intentionally or unintentionally, film-maker Adam Curtis seems to have been an inspiration with Don't Look Up as it flashes from an intimate conversation to a right-wing rally, to a herd of hippos in an unspecified part of the world. There are subtle nods to the fact that the Global majority (in the global south) are subjected to the political machinations of America in dictating their lives. There are also scenes that function as staccato breaks from key story beats that are used to represent how fragmented our realities are by opportunist politicians, mainstream media and social media.
Comedian's like Dave Chapelle have commented on the difficulty in satirising a man like Trump because he is a comedic caricature of his own self. As such, Don't Look Up had to strike a fine balance in portraying Trumpian sentiment in the film from its dialogue to it's A-list acting.
The somewhat negative critical reception is down to a range of reasons: the media don't enjoy being subject to ridicule and the fact that an A-list cast makes it a film with a bigger target on it's back. One film critic described Adam McKay as having contempt for people in his portrayal of ordinary citizens falling for conspiracy theories in large numbers. It's ironic that a charge of 'contempt' is levelled at a film-maker when over the last two decades, client journalism has become the default method of reporting news. It is not surprising that people believe in conspiracy theories when trust in institutions is at all time low.
One minor qualm might be the film's run time, it felt a little self-indulgent at points toward the end where it could have done with some sharp editing to hurtle toward the grand finale instead of stumbling toward it. Ultimately though, you don't mind this because by this point, you're really bought into the world that McKay has created from its characters to its cast. Oscar worthy.
The broad scope of the film on the page makes its execution a challenging task but it's one that McKay pulls off with aplomb. Don't Look Up is filled with laugh out loud moments but manages to sneak in a moment of brevity that makes you consider what you treasure most in this world.
Intentionally or unintentionally, film-maker Adam Curtis seems to have been an inspiration with Don't Look Up as it flashes from an intimate conversation to a right-wing rally, to a herd of hippos in an unspecified part of the world. There are subtle nods to the fact that the Global majority (in the global south) are subjected to the political machinations of America in dictating their lives. There are also scenes that function as staccato breaks from key story beats that are used to represent how fragmented our realities are by opportunist politicians, mainstream media and social media.
Comedian's like Dave Chapelle have commented on the difficulty in satirising a man like Trump because he is a comedic caricature of his own self. As such, Don't Look Up had to strike a fine balance in portraying Trumpian sentiment in the film from its dialogue to it's A-list acting.
The somewhat negative critical reception is down to a range of reasons: the media don't enjoy being subject to ridicule and the fact that an A-list cast makes it a film with a bigger target on it's back. One film critic described Adam McKay as having contempt for people in his portrayal of ordinary citizens falling for conspiracy theories in large numbers. It's ironic that a charge of 'contempt' is levelled at a film-maker when over the last two decades, client journalism has become the default method of reporting news. It is not surprising that people believe in conspiracy theories when trust in institutions is at all time low.
One minor qualm might be the film's run time, it felt a little self-indulgent at points toward the end where it could have done with some sharp editing to hurtle toward the grand finale instead of stumbling toward it. Ultimately though, you don't mind this because by this point, you're really bought into the world that McKay has created from its characters to its cast. Oscar worthy.
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