As if the world hadn't perturbed since the last 22 months of COVID 19, the Omicron variant made matters worse. Experts believe that the new variant is spreading at the worst time possible. So, is it time to head home and stay in quarantine? Well, don't worry.
Even if that's the case, our filmmakers let their creative juices flow to give people happiness and an engaging isolation. For instance, the Netflix-star-studded comedy, Don't Look Up is gearing up for release on the streaming platform.
Don't Look Up
The latest movie from Adam McKay is a tad cathartic. ‘Don’t Look Up’ is all about the reality of finding the actual message in the fake news era. The story essentially revolves around a comet and its collision course with the Earth. The comet is just a metaphor- while the real issue is the climate crisis.
McKay has acted careful enough not to pull out any punches, so a rich blend of angry and funny moments characterizes the watch of ‘Don’t Look Up. That’s exactly where he has won! It is not what you can term as a ‘subtle’ movie, which will take your mind off the things going on in the world. However, several aspects in the movie could have been about the global pandemic.
The Cast
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchet, and Meryl Streep in powerful roles- the series is a rather ‘clever’ and ‘unapologetically brash’ satire of how future America is likely to be. The present state is agonizing. This is all the more true when we think about political competitions, celebrity worship, social media rage, and classless, brainless infotainment. So much of our time is spent in these that we refuse to consider the ‘impending’ obliteration of planet Earth seriously. Even if climate change is not always spoken about in clear terms, can we deny the parallel? No!
The Gripping Plot
According to Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), there is adequate evidence that a gigantic comet is likely to wipe out the very presence of humankind and all things on Earth in just six months and 14 days! Chances of the ‘planet extinction’ were around 99.78%. Alongside Dr. Mindy, Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), an astronomy grad student, makes a peculiar discovery.
Together, they find details about the comet spanning 5-10 km that would collide directly with Earth. Surprisingly, President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep), worrying about the oncoming midterms or excavating graver truths about her boyfriend, puts the figure at 70% and asks him to ‘move on.
Seeing no government help in sight, Randall and Kate decide to avail themselves of a media tour to initiate some action and spread awareness about the imminent issue. Sad as it may sound, people believe everything that does the rounds in social media. So the question remains if the duo would successfully get the 24-hour new cycle to spread the word before it gets late.
The Good, Bad, and The Ugly
Despite the directorial wonder, a looseness remains in ‘Don’t Look Up.’ For example, a few jokes become mere drags. Several portions of the middle section would be lost simply because there is less impact on the overall story. McKay had a difficult time balancing the apocalyptic storytelling in addition to some absurd humor fused in between. And the result- it didn’t work in most cases. Also, the editing could have been far better since most scenes end on an abrupt note, or they overlap for no apparent reason.
Thankfully, the stellar star cast keeps you engaged to the scenes- especially powerhouse performers like Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Even if the concept is outlandish, it wouldn’t have been done justice to had it not been for them. Both Randall and Kate shine through every human emotion- rage, anxiety, and apathy, and showcase brilliantly the talented heads they are.
Alongside the supporting cast, like Meryl Streep, is the best choice for the President role, Blanchett with her flirty role as Evantee, and Timothee Chalamet as the streamer, Yule. You will be in for a great ride. Let’s not forget Mark Rylance, who played his part as the eccentric tech billionaire Peter to the T.
No matter the cinematic virtues, ‘Don’t Look Up’ has sadly been meted out more negative reviews. But it still makes an impact. At least for those who realize the need to worry about the Earth in general.