Director
- Adam McKay
Cast
- Leonardo Di’Caprio as Dr. Randall Mindy
- Jennifer Lawrence as Kate DiBiasky
- Meryl Streep as President Orlean
- Jonah Hill as Jason Orlean
- Rob Morgan as Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe
- Mark Rylance as Peter Isherwell
- Cate Blanchett as Brie Evantee
- Tyler Perry as Jack Bremmer
- Paul Guilfoyle as General Themes
- Melanie Lynskey as June Mindey
Based on Truly Possible Events
Netflix hit a goldmine with their latest release, Don’t Look Up.
Don’t Look Up is a two part film where the first act is a drama and the second act is a comedy. The magic behind the film is that the dramatic and comedic elements are so intertwined, it’s hard to say when one ended and one began. All while, we have science fiction sprinkled about.
Our film opens with the drama where a young scientist, Kate DiBiasky, played by Jennifer Lawrence makes the discovery of her life. Her nonchalant, punk rock attitude paired with a Billie Ellish vibe is on full effect throughout the film. Upon further investigation with Dr. Randall Mindy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a realization is made that the discovery could lead to the extinction of the human race.
The sequences between the initial finding and the realization of the grim reality of that finding provided a 101 lesson in astronomy. The mathematics and science behind it all left this viewer dumbfounded and confused but, in the end, it did great storytelling. The use of the word ‘orbits’ was as exciting as the word ‘ephemeris’ was depressing, all while making me feel the excitement and worry of a new discovery.
Once the horrifying reality is known, the scientists are introduced to Doctor Oglethorpe, the head of the Planetary Defense Office at NASA played by Rob Morgan and the dramatic elements are in full effect.
The sequence of the conversation between the scientists, Dr. Oglethorpe, and Dr. Culdor played by Hettienne Park was heart pounding and the dread could be felt when Dibiasky stated that the human race had 6 months and 14 days to prevent a 5-10 km wide meteor from hitting our planet. The panic was heightened in these sequences, and throughout the film, due in part to the music composed by the talented Nicholas Britell who has won awards for his music on such films as Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, Vice, Succession, The Big Short, The Underground Railroad, and Call Me Cruella.
This is where the title credits roll and act two, the comedy of ‘Don’t Look Up,’ begins. For the next 2 hours, we are taken on a ride through the the exaggerated nature of our current state of our existence, told piece by piece, player by player.
Don’t Look Up is a film where every stereotype imaginable is cranked up to an extreme level of absurdity; however, the line between what we saw in the film and what we encounter in our world was chillingly blurred. In the end, the absurd nature of the humor throughout was the only relief from feeling the immense dread that everyone should have felt.
In Don’t Look Up there is a vain, ignorant President Orlean played by Meryl Streep. A leader full of contempt for anyone below her, willing to do anything to remain popular and keep her power. Her portrayal is hilarious but demonstrates a scary reality where our leaders hold great power but don’t respect that great responsibility.
There is also an over the top tech giant, Peter Isherwell, played by Mark Rylance. The comparisons in Rylance’s portrayal of Isherwell and Marshall Applewhite of the Heaven’s Gate cult are eerily similar. Once again, we see how the power held by one man can lead a group of people to their death. The frightening part is that Isherwell is our Jeff Bezos, our Elon Musk, our Mark Zuckerburg, our Steve Jobs, the list could go on with potential candidates. The pretentious demeanor of Isherwell and his stance as being a visionary vs. a businessman reminds us to not buy into everything we are sold and told.
If that wasn’t enough, the film includes an ass kissing Chief of Staff, Jason Orlean, played by Jonah Hill who remained loyal up until the point of his death, a Racist, Misogynistic American War hero, Benedict Drask, played by Ron Perlman and Arienna Grande playing Arienna Grande but under the pseudonym Riley Bina in an on again, off again relationship with Kid Cudi who played a hip hop artist, DJ Chello.
In this scene, Arienna Grande and Kid Cudi perform a song to support the Look Up Movement.
At the heart of the film, we, the audience, are presented with a country divided into two political groups that argue over the truth. Glimpses of protests, marches, rioting, and rallies were clear reminders of what our own country has been through over the last 2 years. It goes without saying that the tagline, ‘Based on Truly Possible Events,’ ringed true throughout the film.
Throughout Don’t Look Up we are forced to grapple with our own reality of how we react to the players that are presenting the information, the facts and the truth. The film displays the disconnect we have between one another but, at the same time, shows us how our connections with one another is what our life is all about. The storytelling of Dr. Mindy and his wife, June, played by Melanie Lynskey demonstrated this true connection all throughout the film and represented hope in a film that ended with little to any.
At its core, Don’t Look Up asks the viewer many questions to grapple with once the film ends. Some of these including: Which side of the fence are we on? Do we enjoy having the likes, having the cameras on us, having the fame, being the hero? Do we enjoy just being ourselves and knowing the truth? Do we listen to one another, respect each other’s viewpoints, and respect those that are experts in their given fields? What we do in leadership? How do we use our platform?
Finally, a lasting message to take away from Don’t Look Up is that we cannot underestimate the power we have in changing our current circumstance(s). At one point in the film, there was a discussion between Isherwell and Dr. Mindy which ended in Isherwell telling Dr. Mindy he would die alone. Up until this point, we all saw how Dr. Mindy’s predictable behaviors would lead to a predictable fate calculated by Isherwell; however, Dr. Mindy took control of his life even when the end was near.
Given Adam McKay’s history with directing films such as Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, The Other Guys, and Anchorman, I knew how absurd things could, would, and did get; however, McKay showed a different side with this one that I really look forward to seeing more of.
Discussion with Director Adam McKay
Matt Dolan
educator, leader, social entrepreneur, friend, human being, gamer, photographer, graphic designer, optimist