Don’t Look Up
Directed by Adam McKay
★★½
Description
DON'T LOOK UP, TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as YULE. Cr. NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX © 2021
Credit:
NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX
Adam McKay has gone from goofy comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers to directing critically lauded political satires such as Vice and The Big Short. His newest film of that ilk, Don’t Look Up, is by far his most star-studded and ambitious film to date, it's also his messiest.
The film tracks a PHD candidate named Kate (Jennifer Lawerence) and her professor Dr. Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) as they discover and try to warn the masses of a ‘planet-killer’ comet, with a direct and impending course for Earth. Even with the help of a NASA scientist and the knowledge that the comet is the size of Mt. Everest, they can’t get anyone to take them seriously, not even the President of the United States (Meryl Streep).
The film tackles some seriously timely issues about the current state of our divided political and social landscapes, often times with humor and often with gravity. However, it doesn’t always have a smooth ebb and flow, at times feeling very clunky and going for an easy target with scattershot aim.
McKay’s latest explodes with his varying frustrations towards the MAGA-minded. There are many parallels between Streep’s President and that of Donald Trump. Streep’s character is clueless as to what is going on and almost completely apathetic, more concerned with ‘winning’ the upcoming midterms. There are several jokes that hit close to home of her administration’s nepotism and cruelty towards others.
Additionally, the idea of the comet itself feels like a glaring allusion to the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the way that the Trump administration botched plans and ignored truths, and in the way that Americans made the situation political and ignored science.
The movie makes a lot of good (and yes, correct) points, but feels somehow constantly misguided. The characters are the weakest part of the film, with only DiCaprio’s Dr. Moody getting somewhat fleshed out (somewhat being the important word). The cast does, however, deliver exceptional performances, despite having not much depth to work with. DiCaprio has his ‘Oscar Moment’, Lawrence is McKay’s conduit and it's nice to see her returning to the screen, Streep is wonderfully obtuse, Ron Perlman has some hilarious moments and Timothee Chalamet turns up to ground parts of the film that feel over-the-top. If anything, watch the movie for Mark Rylance’s batshit performance of a neurotic tech billionaire akin to Bezos or Jobs.
While at times the movie paints a damning portrait of our current political and societal climates, often times it ends up meandering down a relentless improvisational road. It can be extremely frustrating at times, but its heart is in the right place and I think a lot of general audience goers can get something out of it. As far as award season goes, the only guarantee is editing and a hilarious and biting song by Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi. That being said, never count out McKay, DiCaprio, Streep or Rylance. Also, despite her character not being a good fit, I still want Meryl Streep to be president.
