Review of Gasland (2010) by Jessetaylor25 — 08 Apr 2011

Unlike the horribly bland "An Inconvenient Truth", this issue documentary is surprisingly entertaining. I almost feel bad calling a film about natural gas contamination entertaining, but I mean it in an entirely educational and enthralling way, not a fun and satisfying way.

"GasLand" is a labour of love by documentarist Josh Fox. He's addressing an issue that is not only affecting him and his family very closely, but the whole country and perhaps soon, the whole world. The center of this film's attention is an area of the U.S., the Marcellus Shale (which is a subterranean formation that is beneath New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and many other states), which is more commonly called by energy companies "the Saudi Arabia of natural gas". Fox travels to the towns around this area to see first hand how hydraulic fracturing has affected them and their lives. Needless to say, his findings are quite horrifying.

"GasLand" is an amateurish-looking film that could have easily been made by any competent documentarist, but its heart is something that only could have been added by the talents of Josh Fox. Gas contamination is a topic that has been addressed vaguely before, but with "GasLand" we see a whole new world and it's alarmingly eyeopening. This is one of the best documentaries of the year. It receiving a well deserved Oscar nomination yesterday morning and I hope that's a push for more people to watch this important film.