Review of An Inconvenient Truth (2006) by Jeff B — 17 Jul 2010

While serving in this capacity - that of persnickety movie reviewer for a major metropolitan newspaper - there often arises the angel and devil of personal preferences and political convections. Insomuch as a reviewer should not completely reign in these appetites, they should also exercise some internal censoring. Panning United 93 because "it's too soon" should get you fired. Panning Mission: Impossible III because Tom Cruise jumped on a couch should get you killed. This said, the angel and devil residing on this reviewer's shoulders are currently playing tug of war: While he wants to encourage Mr. and Mrs. North America to see An Inconvenient Truth simply because it addresses climate change as a potentially cataclysmic time-bomb for planet Earth, there needs to be a qualification of these convictions. Thankfully, the film does this on its own merits.

In this PG-rated doc, former Vice President Al Gore addresses the rapidly changing ecology and what filmgoers can (and sadly cannot) do to stop mankind's part in this pressing issue.

As documentaries go, An Inconvenient Truth is not an easy pill to swallow both in terms of presentation and material. At first glance, the film looks like it has been pulled from a video classroom lecture series, former U.S. Senator Gore addressing a forum and referencing animated flow-charts. Rounded out with personal reminiscences both tragic and humorous, however, this straightforward approach never once panders to becoming info-tainment a la Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Considering that the subject matter doesn't involve impossibly cute penguins, the last thing the audience would want is patronization. Rather, the filmmakers and Gore INSTRUCT. The cold, hard, panic-inducing facts speak for themselves, yes, but Gore also injects a message of hope in the form of suggesting some morally imperative measures to possibly help save our world.

Bottom line: The film event of the new Ice Age.