Let's talk about.... Don't Look Up

[TPF1138]

Let's talk about.....



Two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward the Earth. The response from a distracted world: Meh.

[TPF1138]

Repost of my thoughts, to get the ball rolling ....

It's easy to see why critics might hate this one, since It doubles down on everything they hated about the last one. The chaotic editing, the media (and now social media) montaging, the freeze-framing, the onscreen text gags, the fourth wall breaking, the whole sensory overload of information, disinformation, culture, and pop culture. It nests satirical absurdities inside dramatic realism, and swerves from the terrifyingly poignant to the deliberately silly in minutes. Everything that grated about "Vice", if you happened to find "Vice" grating, is here ten fold in "Don't Look Up". McKay is a genre all his own, and he makes movies like they're YouTube videos, which actually makes them perfect for Netflix, and perfectly effective at parcelling out masses of information while keeping a coherent and engaging narratives driving along, but it's an approach that could not be better designed to annoy film critics, especially those looking for something like classic formalism, if that were its express purpose.

This approach though, allows the movie to function not just as satire, but as a unnervingly accurate, funny, but terrifying snapshot of right now. Anyone telling you however, that "Don't Look Up" hates us, or thinks us all idiots, is making it up. It's a movie that's frustrated by us, despairing of our lack of urgency, angry at how easily we attach to  comforting lies over inconvenient truths. But, McKay is no misanthrope. Everything in the movie comes from a place of deep and heartfelt affection for us, for our world, and for humanity in all its farting, fucking, bumbling beauty. It's a movie that wants us desperately to save ourselves, and can't quite understand why we won't.

I found it very effective personally. I might even have shed a tear at one point.

As to Jennifer; yes, as has been long understood, her role doesn't give her a lot to sink her molars into. At least in terms of big meaty scenes. Save for a few brief outbursts of terror or frustration which she delivers with expected vigor. Jennifer though, has never needed great big speeches to deliver great performances. So much here plays out on her face, and McKay knows it. He cuts to it often enough, and even takes the time to linger on it at one point to poignant effect. She is the moral centre of the movie, and a living avatar of all the terror, frustration, and weariness we've all felt over the last few years, or longer. On one level it's a really clever deployment of her innate likability and relatability, even in a role that goes against what might be considered type, but Jennifer gives it more nuance and depth than that. Fuck, she's a good actor. I think I'd forgotten that. Not intellectually, but in my gut. I enjoyed watching her again.

[lawrencepedia]

Posting mine too: 

+Editing was one of my favourite parts. I adored the way it was done. Never quite knew what you were gonna get and when. 
+The score? Fabulous. 
+I often feel like many movies just resemble each other in some way. Been there, done that. This one just felt fresh. Very very realistic obviously, but I can't really recall having seen a movie like it. I'm sure those are out there, but yeah, I personally haven't seen them. 

+Jen, oh Jen. How I have missed you! For someone who supposedly doesn't get much to do, she certainly had the audience eating from the palm of her hand and was the one that got by far the most laughs. And often it wasn't even with saying much or anything at all. What others perhaps needed a whole scene to say, she could say or show in just a second. And this wasn't like any role she's had before. Which was also very nice to see. Was it a hard role for her? Hell no. But not all roles need to be difficult or challenging. And that running joke? A+

+Really enjoyed Rob Morgan in this as well. And Melanie Lynskey. Understated roles perhaps, but very much likeable. 

+-The rest of the cast were a mix of both really. Loved Meryl, Jonah, even though he didn't have nearly as much to do as I thought. The end (not the end credit scene!) with him had me cracking up. Wanted more of him and Jen though. Timmy was nice too. Expected to not really like him and Jen together but they were quite sweet. There were a few people though where I had mixed feelings. Cate, Leo and Mark Rylance were all characters that I didn't care for at times and that I came around to, and the other way around. 

+The dinner scene was really sweet and sad.

Again, it's messy. It's very Adam. And some, like myself, might love that. I personally wouldn't really change much about the movie. Maybe cut down a few scenes? Add some more Jen obviously, because Leo has quite a bit more screen time than her. But all in all? Fabulous. Don't really know why it's do divisive though. Because it's depressing how realistic it is? THAT IS THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT! haha 

Also, the memes had the whole audience in stitches. haha As did the credit scene with Meryl.

[TPF1138]

Cate, Leo and Mark Rylance were all characters that I didn't care for at times and that I came around to, and the other way around.

That's very much how you're meant to respond to these characters of course. I was particularly taken with how Cate's character, who presents at first blush, as something of a caricature, develops into an actual person. If not exactly a likable one.

[sunworshipper]

But he must know that we'll find out that the food is free, so why did he...?

[lawrencepedia]

Cate, Leo and Mark Rylance were all characters that I didn't care for at times and that I came around to, and the other way around.

That's very much how you're meant to respond to these characters of course. I was particularly taken with how Cate's character, who presents at first blush, as something of a caricature, develops into an actual person. If not exactly a likable one.

Haha yeah I know, bit with Rylance I think in the beginning I was just annoyed with the performance I think? I didn't warm up to him until he had that scene with Leo in the hangar. I mean he wasn't at all likeable a a character, but acting wise he annoyed me until then. haha 

Cate I felt...I don't know she was good, obviously, and she was in it a lot more than I thought, but I'd gladly have cut the bed scene with her and Leo and given Jen another scene instead. Felt pretty pointless. haha

[lawrencepedia]

But he must know that we'll find out that the food is free, so why did he...?

That running joke was so funny. 

Also, her saying "I'll talk to your mom in 7 months" cracked me up as well. AND THE MEMES! haha Sadly that is exactly what would have happened in real life. haha

[sunworshipper]

Cate I felt...I don't know she was good, obviously, and she was in it a lot more than I thought, but I'd gladly have cut the bed scene with her and Leo and given Jen another scene instead. Felt pretty pointless. haha

Cate's character Brie surprised me a bit.  She wasn't quite as shallow and ruthless as she could have been.  She actually seemed to care for Randall.

I thought Timothee's Quentin needed a little more fleshing out.  His romance with Kate didn't quite cut it with me.

Randall's co-optation by the White House and seduction by Brie is supposed to represent both power corrupting and how "working from inside the system" often fails?   Of course, fighting the system from without also failed.  Maybe the only lesson is that the second way is less soul-crushing.

Isherwell was truly creepy.  He wasn't over-the-top funny until the new planet.  So off-handedly arrogant, so solipsistic, so narrowly focused on personal goals.  He was so easy to despise.  The instuctions to the audience at the premiere of the Liif phone was hilarious--I wish I could recall them all.  Something about eye contact and making any sudden moves or shouts?  Scared of that chicken but almost cuddling with his 10-ton robot with the drill and rock crushing maniples.

[TPF1138]

... Rylance I think in the beginning I was just annoyed with the performance I think?

Yeah, Rylance is doing something very specific. I can see needing some time to tune to it. But I loved the whole socially inept, tech genius, greedy bullshit artist vibe of the performance. Like the evil mirror universe double of James Halliday form "Ready Player One". 

I'd gladly have cut the bed scene with her and Leo and given Jen another scene instead. Felt pretty pointless.

That's the moment where she becomes human though, even as it reveals the utter incompatibility of her and Leo. I'm not gonna turn down more Jen though, obviously.

I liked that running gag a lot too. It just gets funnier each time. She just cannot make sense of why he would do that. She's not even mad by the end, she's just confused.

[TPF1138]

I thought Timothee's Quentin needed a little more fleshing out.  His romance with Kate didn't quite cut it with me.

It's not really a romance though. It's an end of the world collison of two people. Charming precisely because it is so rushed. Like, you just know those two are not lasting if the world doesn't end. And of course it all works (at least it did for me), because Lawrence and Chalamet have genuine chemistry. I liked them a lot.

[oladesuolusola]

I just saw this. I really liked it! Jen was my favorite among the cast (and I mean this seriously) followed by Meryl, Rylance, Leo and Chalamet. 

I really wish Chalamet does a movie with Jen in the future. What an affecting ending...and I found it to be less funny but more sad. I am a big fan of the editing here. This is a beautiful movie that I'm glad Jen is a part of it. I wasn't expecting Cate to have those scenes and I liked her as well. 


Jen's character seemed the 'most human' or maybe realistic of them all in my opinion. Rylance was so creepy and deserves an Oscar nomination (alongside Jen). Meryl was the funniest imo. Jonah Hill's lines sometimes took me out of the movie.

[TPF1138]

Jen's character seemed the 'most human' or maybe realistic of them all in my opinion.

That's very much the intention. As much as her character runs against type for Jennifer, McKay has clearly intended to tap into certain aspects of Jennifer's personality. Specifically, her blunt truth telling and girl-of-the-people qualities.

Yeah, the whole Just Look Up campaign that Dr. Mindy, Kate, and Dr. Oglethorpe organized and put so much work into was worthless. And the accompanying music concert with Riley Bina and DJ Chello was more than a bit ridiculous and silly.  Making sick fun of climate activists and celebrity activism.

Bringing this over from the main thread, because I just stumbled on it after clicking into the wrong page.

This is exactly what I was getting at when I talked about McKay taking shots at himself in the movie. There's also Chris Evans' vapid asteroid movie, which is at once a shot at the industry McKay makes his money from, and at himself for actually making the asteroid movie to save the world with. I also love Evans' badge, with the arrows pointing Up and Down, because can't we all just stop being so divided. Perfect

[sunworshipper]

I also love Evans' badge, with the arrows pointing Up and Down, because can't we all just stop being so divided. Perfect

Yes, why doesn't everyone just look up and never look up...wait.

[Eith007]

Just watched this movie. I don't think it's as bad as some critics said, but I don't think this is a brilliant movie either. It's just mediocre. This movie doesn't work as a satire for me at all. It's too subtle and pulls too many punches. It didn't go all the way to exaggerate the situaiton. I would rather this movie really turn out to be more like a SNL sketch which would be more in line with the two post credit scenes. And during the last hour, this movie suddenly turns into a different movie, a serious political drama. The whistleblowers try to go against the evil government. They could have made Jen's character the central character from the beginning if they really wanted to go that route.

[TPF1138]

It's too subtle and pulls too many punches.

That's the first time I've seen this said, but I appreciate your thoughts. We don't agree, but thank you.

Guys, please do not hesitate to be negative, or just underwhelmed, if that's what you're feeling. And keep things respectful.

[lawrencepedia]

Yeah, subtle is the last thing I'd call this movie, but I guess we all take things in different ways, which is all good! 

Watched this again yesterday and it held up even better watching it at home on the couch. I'm glad I watched it on the big screen first and think that is how more people should have been able to watch it, but it worked very well on the smaller screen too. 

Last 30 minutes are still the most depressing minutes of a movie I have seen in I don't even know how long. 
With some laugh obviously, but yeah, as many others have said, so realistic that it turns even more depressing and infuriating. 

I am SO glad Jen did this movie.

[ihash]

Just saw this. I typically save my reviews for a second viewing. As a first impression I thought the movie was very good and the performances were terrific. It is certainly not subtle, but it is spot on the way Dr. Strangelove was as a biting social and political satire. Or maybe Network is a better comparison, with Leo even getting an "I'm mad as hell" TV moment. I think the satire was extremely effective because it is so spot on. I saw it less about climate change or any particular issue and more about the generally absurd moment we are living through, where something as elemental as a life ending comet gets bent and distorted by all the crushing forces we live with (24 hour news, news as entertainment, science as politics, politics as sport, intrusive social media, celebrity worship, tech billionaires seen as humanity saviors instead of as greedy, short-sighted, misanthropic businessmen looking to make money, etc). And just tne corrupting influence of trying to work within the system because the system is so broken that it corrupts everything it touches. Jen is the emotional heart of the film because she plays a normal person just trying to make sense of it all, and the film identifies with ordinary people who just want to know the truth and want things to be better while their leaders do not seem to care about them at all. The film places all of us in the middle just trying to make sense of things. I did not think the movie was in any way preachy because the film is centered on common people trying to make due in a crazy political and media environment. I suspect the critics did not like it because they were depicted as part of the problem. Like I said, spot on.

[TPF1138]

Love your thoughts, ihash. We very much agree.

Watched this again yesterday and it held up even better watching it at home on the couch.

I had the same experience. The movie moves at such a clip that familiarity is actually a benefit. It keeps you ahead of it, which allows the gags to land harder. You're even anticipating some of them, and find yourself smiling or laughing before they land. When the General came with the snacks for example, I was already chuckling knowing where that was going. I'm chuckling now as I write this.

I am SO glad Jen did this movie.

Same.

[sunworshipper]

I thought that was probably what was going on because I couldn't figure out any other activity that fit.  Although why on a rooftop?  I was still unsure the second time I saw it.

[lawrencepedia]

Took me 4 times to see what they were ACTUALLY doing. 

Fun times for the CGI people. Since that was obviously not filmed. "Hey hun, what are you doing at work today?" "Oh not much. Digitally creating a big orgy as the world is ending".