Don't Look Up

Don't Look Up is one of those very rare films where I'm writing my review 3+ days after I've seen it, meaning it has the benefit (or curse) of getting some additional time on my mind. 

As is usually the case with late-in-the-year reviews, comments on this movie will be shorter than usual (or at least I say that now) as I'm tied up in family stuff, work, and finishing the Rath Awards, all while catching up on the deluge of films that Hollywood dumps around Christmas.

Luckily, Don't Look Up was available on Netflix which, on top of its enticing premise, jaw-dropping cast, and director, made it an easy "Hell yeah, I'm watching that."

Adam McKay has been making/trying to make a name for himself as less of a straight-goofball comedic director lately, angling more toward biting satire. It worked really well in The Big Short, but not so much in Vice. 

Don't Look Up is different however, given that it's fiction. The other two are largely based on historical events and characters while Don't Look Up - for the benefit of the film IMO - is a "hypothetical". One could argue that piece in quotes, because it's pretty obvious that Don't Look Up is a strong metaphor for how the human race, particularly the U.S., has handled a modern day world wide pandemic and/or global warming (take your pick). If you miss that metaphor then Don't Look Up will likely go right over your head so it's probably not best for you to bother with it. 

Using a different disaster, the scientists of the world (in this case, DiCaprio and Lawrence) inform the world there's a comet headed straight for earth that is an "extinction level event". The remaining 95% of the movie spends its time following them as they try to convince the world that the comet is real, that it is coming, and that everyone will die unless they do something. Sound familiar? That 95% is a strange, strange mix of being hilarious but also disgustingly depressing, reflecting many of the news stories and "gen pop" behavior that you've seen over the last couple years. And it's really within the plot and the screenplay where Don't Look Up earns its stripes, but also its biggest blemishes. There's a lot of good stuff to enjoy. There's biting, funny commentary, moments of good script bits that reminded me of some of McKay's older stuff, and some screaming-into-the-ether moments that are startling and sad.

Shocking group of characters here

At the end of the world, there
will still be grocery shopping

But then there are moments where DiCaprio's protagonist has an affair with an anchor (Blanchett) that not only feels out of character for him, but also just unnecessary. Or a prolonged focus on Ariana Grande's self-deprecating pop character and her relationship status. I mean hell, she gets to sing an entire song here which, for a nearly 2.5 hour movie feels unnecessary and an obvious place that could have been trimmed in half. Even the stuff with with Mark Rylance's Steve Jobs-esque CEO and his company's ploy to save the world could have i) been introduced earlier and ii) streamlined. And with the benefit of added hindsight, I've realized it's not really the length that I have issue with, it's more how disjointed all the pieces feel together. In a certain way, that's the film's chaos - almost echoing the real world - that feels appropriate, even if it is frustrating because it could have been a lot tighter. 

Obviously the cast is downright incredible and our leads of Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio are in positions they've done before. Her raging college student vibe melds well with DiCaprio's portrayal of a "beta male" scientist and both their comedic timing and serious dialogues are at the talent level you'd expect. From the remainder of the cast, most are highlights, though Mark Rylance's Peter Isherwell started to get annoying (not his fault) and Timothee Chalamet's character is introduced so late that it almost doesn't feel worth it. Countering those, you have Jonah Hill as a hilarious, "hip" Chief of Staff to Meryl Streep's calmly biting attempt at displaying a...certain...recent President's demeanor. She doesn't go as far as you might expect, which I came to appreciate because it makes her President just that much more believable that she might actually get her s**t together. Cate Blanchett is entertaining too as anchor Brie Evantee, even if I still don't think her character's plot arc is warranted. 

Don't Look Up is a shockingly tragic film that makes you feel angry as you laugh - almost as if you're laughing through the pain. It has its own amount of chaos, some of which feels calculated and some of which feels like lazy editing/filmmaking, but it'll definitely get you thinking and people talking. And with a cast as impressive as this, there's a lot of small nitpicks that I'm willing to ignore. 

CONS

• Story is a bit of a mess and unfocused, even if that chaos adds to the film a bit
• Not all jokes land
• Comes with a certain amount of depression, as intended
• Not all characters created equal

PROS

• Biting commentary on how humans and Americans deal with crises, based on very recent events
• Comes with a certain amount of depression, as intended
• Has moments of solid laughs along with screaming frustrating
• Such a big, wildly impressive cast. Most do really well, particularly our leads
• I thought I hated the ending at first, but after some time with it, it makes it all the more unique and powerful

Rath's Review Score | 8/10