Review of The 11th Hour (2007) by Halfwelshman — 19 Nov 2011

Perhaps I am writing with too much hindsight (the 11th Hour was released four years ago after all), but after finally seeing the film, I found it's message oddly dated. The talking heads clearly know their stuff (though I do object to the fact that they are overwhelmingly composed of American "experts" with a book to sell), but it seems like the film takes far too long to make its point.

Two thirds of the film (nearly an hour) is taken up with re-stating what the vast majority of people who chose to watch the film presumably already know. When a number of solutions to the woes of climate change are finally presented, it is informative and interesting, but it should not take so long to get to the main point of your argument.

And I accept that Leonardo DiCaprio is a dedicated and passionate environmental campaigner, but why get him to film cringe-inducing links between each section of the film? Yes DiCaprio's financial and promotional backing of the project must have been a great help to get The 11th Hour's message out there, but is it really necessary to him Leo staring wistfully off into the sunset whenever the debate runs out of steam.

We get it Leo - you care! Now stop looking guilty on our behalf and let us listen to the experts again! Perhaps my view of the film would be different had I seen it sooner, before I heard all of the arguments being presented through different channels.

As it is, The 11th Hour does eventually get round to raising some interesting points, and presenting viable political, economic and scientific solutions to humanity's collective damage to Planet Earth, but a lot of it is filler, and the rest is stale and preachy.

The Planet diserves far more than just Leonardo DiCaprio's ernest intentions.