Anthony's Film Review - An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

This documentary presents an important environmental issue in a clear and fascinating way...

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore has always been a green politician. It's not something I noticed before, because I don't recall the environment ever being a major issue during the Clinton administration. During those years, their attention seemed to be mainly on other matters. So when the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth was released, I thought it was a nice surprise that Al Gore would be its presenter.

The great thing about this film is its straightforward manner. It manages to be captivating without resorting to sensational methods characteristic of a Michael Moore film. Not that they are bad techniques. They're just simply another style of filmmaking. What I mean is that Gore manages to get his message across, on his own, just by giving a lecture. The film alternates between this lecture on global warming and Gore's personal stories. That's really all he needs.

The lecture is fascinating whether you're watching this on film or had attended the presentation in person. Like any good documentary, Gore talks about many factors and consequences of global warming, including the fuel efficiency of foreign cars versus American cars, measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, floods and droughts in unusual places, frequent hurricanes (especially Katrina), endangered species, and rising sea levels. The list goes on.

And I have to be honest. I liked the lecture so much that I found myself having less interest in the non-lecture footage. Some of it is helpful, though, like Gore's account of a college professor who introduced him to climate studies, but other stuff, like losing the 2000 U.S. presidential election to George W. Bush, seem more like distractions from the feature presentation.

The film ends with Gore transitioning to motivational speaking. After presenting the problem of global warming, he reminds us of two things. Not only do we need to help fight global warming, but also we have the ability to do so. The first half of the closing credits alternates between the people behind the film and various tips that you can follow to help save planet Earth. It's a nice way to wrap it up. Gore's message may be an inconvenient truth to some, but regardless, there is no better time to hear it than now.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about An Inconvenient Truth, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.