DON’T LOOK UP is director, Adam McKay’s, star-studded, political satire. It is a declaration of what he believes is happening in the United States today, and this message is shouted out throughout the film over and over again.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays mid-level astronomer, Dr. Randall Mindy. He is Chair of the Doctorate Program in Michigan. One of the candidates, Kate (Jennifer Lawrence), discovers, quite by accident, something humongous. This is where their horrendous, frantic journey actually begins.
The acting skills of Leonardo DiCaprio cannot be denied. He created a nerdy, nervous, anti-hero that brought to light the direness of their situation. Jennifer played off of his fears perfectly. It was a great comic duo. Meryl Streep looked fabulous and wicked all at the same times. As always, she was perfect.
The entire movie is a panic-filled race to make the public and the government react enough to do something, anything, to save our planet. Adam McKay, as screenwriter, definitely wanted to make the point of where we are currently in this world. Can scientific facts break through the social media drivel controlling our every move in today’s society? This is shown throughout DON’T LOOK UP with the use of dark humor, sarcasm, and a myriad of powerhouse stars such as: Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Ariana Grande, Mark Rylance, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Timmothy Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Paul Guilfoyle, and Sarah Silverman. It’s a regular who’s-who in liberal America.
The movie pits politics versus the end of the world. Is our current ideology so completely divided that we would choose to let our world be destroyed? Will the mighty money quest big tech corporations rule us forever? These are enormous story points to discuss to ponder in almost 2 1/2 hours. It is much to digest. Perhaps tighter editing and shaving off some minutes is necessary. We got the point. I wanted more of the quick seconds of what our life, our beautiful planet, has to offer. Those clips added immensely to what the universe would lose without our wondrous Earth and everyday, ordinary life. Holding that mirror up for me was more powerful than all the screaming and shouting.
DON’T LOOK UP or do look up. We all need to believe scientific facts and come to the table together. In the end, we really do “have everything we need.” My eyes are open. For in the end, “I want to go quietly in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming and crying like his passengers.”
DON’T LOOK UP is available to stream on NETFLIX.
