An Inconvenient Truth
Paramount Classics. Directed by Davis Guggenheim.
Starring Al Gore. In select theaters now.
“An Inconvenient Truth” isn’t likely to win over the staunchest skeptics but makes a persuasive case for doing something about global warming. The Al Gore documentary uses startling images, video, graphs, charts and even cartoons to make its case. Before you start nodding off, Gore does a good job of keeping things lively with a more casual demeanor and personal anecdotes: “Hello, I’m Al Gore, I used to be the next president of the United States,” he jokes at one point, stepping away from his usual lifelessness. But the film is so effective making its case because it lacks another voice. “An Inconvenient Truth” doesn’t show any opposition to global warming. It works on the premise that all scientists support the issue and scientific doubt is the biggest misconception. The documentary moves in and out of a lecture by Gore, footage of natural disasters and Gore’s own life experiences. He tells how losing his sister to lung cancer, nearly losing his son in an accident and then losing the presidency brought him back to the global warming fight. All of the focus on Gore makes the film more interesting. Others may find it self-indulgent, especially his lamenting of the 2000 election. Others may disregard the movie as a staging ground for Gore to mount another presidential run. Politics aside, “An Inconvenient Truth” isn’t the most entertaining movie and is dry at times. True believers will hail it. Skeptics are likely to dismiss it. Interested undecideds are likely to walk away impressed and informed by the presentation. They’ll have to go elsewhere for countering views.
,Talene Yotnotsian
CARS
Walt Disney Co./Pixar Animation Studios Inc.
Starring Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt.
In theaters now.
OK. So the opening weekend for “Cars” fell about $10 million short in box office than Disney analysts were expecting. But kicking out Michael Eisner and paying $7 billion for Pixar still is the best move Disney has made in years. Disney just can’t make a decent kids movie without Pixar (consider recent Disney efforts “Chicken Little” or “The Wild”). And “Cars” is more than decent. As with all Pixar movies, it’s a cut above the average kid movie with developed characters and a thoughtful story. “Cars” doesn’t delve into crude jokes and grown-up references found in other kids movies, though it easily could have with the auto racing theme. The movie ranks right up there with “Toy Story 2” and “Finding Nemo” as one of Pixar’s best. Of course, there’s more than enough visual stimulation for kids who don’t really care about character and plot. Like other Pixar movies, it runs long for a kid flick and could have been about 15 minutes shorter. For Disney, “Cars” is a qualified home run. Its $60 million opening weekend is about half of what “Chicken Little” did over months and twice that of “The Wild.”
,Michael Lyster
