Review of Trouble the Water (2008) by Walter M — 06 Jul 2010

"Trouble the Water" is a documentary about Kim and Scott Roberts who lacking transportation decided to ride out Hurricane Katrina in their home in New Orleans, stocking up on supplies and filming home movies before, during and after.

Luckily, they made it not only out of their home alive after the levees broke, first from their attic, then to a neighbor's home on higher ground and later 220 miles away to Alexandria, La. The movie speaks not only to their harrowing journey of survival but also to the unpreparedness and intransigence of the authorities who were seemingly more interested in protecting property than saving lives.

More help came from families and friends but only the government can work on the huge scale required.(There are many invocations of religion which speaks to the general helplessness of the situation.) Such laissez-faire attitudes are also the indirect cause of the oil spill that is currently causing so much damage in the gulf coast.

The documentary squanders its excellent point of view by focusing more on the familiar larger story, than the more intimate, smaller story, as it gets off a ridiculously cheap shot towards the finish.

Sadly, the movie also eventually runs out of steam, not having a clear idea when to end, as the story is still ongoing.