Adam McKay really has become an auteur in the last decade. His transformation has turned into a Woody Allen-like swing from straight-up comedy into deeper, more emotionally complex narratives. Pretty remarkable. And of course it’s sad to know that this artistic turn has played a role in McKay and Will Ferrell parting ways. But if that separation was needed for McKay to truly fly in this new dramedy space, then I’m all for it. Sorry Will. Artists either evolve or die, and Ferrell’s lack of growth is a big reason why his acting career has been floundering ever since The Other Guys.
McKay’s newest film Don’t Look Up is instantly among his best in my opinion. It’s sharp, funny, and there’s enough closeness to reality within the satire where the same moments that make you laugh could just as easily make you cry. You see one outlandish character or watch a particular scene, and say to yourself “Jesus, that’s not that far off”. That’s the genius of true satire - being able to point out cruel ironies while retaining the hilarity.
Acting-wise Leo is great, as is Jennifer Lawrence. No surprise there. And of course Jonah Hill is an absolute homerun. He’s so good at playing that annoying, snobby asshole character. He’s too talented to be forever typecast in that role, but it’s definitely a tried and true arena for him. He was my favorite in the whole film. I also thought Meryl was brilliant, as was Sir Mark Rylance as the tech giant for Bash. His voice was perfectly delivered - the high-pitch, almost child-like nature of his cadence masks the sinister intentions he has all along. Which I thought was a genius way of encapsulating the modern day tech oligarch. We get sucked into their personality and mesmerized by the good they do, which can make it next to impossible to see the horrors they commit and cause. Well done, Sir.
As for the story, I thought it was a bit chaotic and all over the place. Which sort of fits McKay 2.0’s whole shtick. He loves the fast-paced jumping around style, and the fact that it’s so clearly a satire gives the whole piece more license to be outrageous and over-the-top. I liked how there were a couple homages to legendary satires of old. Ron Perlman’s character Colonel Drask seemed like a nod to Major Kong from Dr. Strangelove. And DiCaprio’s character Randall Mindy’s manic speech on live TV evoked the “Mad as Hell'' speech from Network, but purposefully stripped of its climax and abruptly cut short. I thought both weren’t too obvious and were nice touches.
The overarching symbolism that’s used is without a doubt clever and thoughtful. It kind of annoyed me how in all the press coverage I read about the movie, they just totally gave away the meaning of the allegory. Before I knew anything else about it, I already knew that the comet was a symbol for the climate crisis. Kind of a bummer in my opinion. Let the viewer get there on their own. Spelling out how someone should perceive the film takes a very meaningful part away from the artistic experience. At least that’s how I feel. I get that this is a political statement that McKay and David Sirota want to make, which is why they’re being so on-the-nose about it. And that’s certainly commendable when considering the urgency surrounding climate change. But I can’t deny that the wind was taken out of my sails a bit when the whole message was spelled out for me. Luckily the final product is strong enough where it’s still an incredible watch despite the giveaway.
Without a doubt my favorite part of the film was the end, when all the main protagonists get together at the Mindy household for one last supper. I thought that was beautiful, and to me that whole scene encapsulated the underlying point to the film. Which is that at the end of the day, what really matters is being with people that you love. When shit hits the fan - whether it be a mass extinction event like the movie, or a minuscule traumatic event - it’s important to surround yourself with family and friends. Say what you want to say (Yule proposing to Kate). Don’t be afraid to forgive (June taking Randall back). And be open to other people’s healing/coping processes (the Mindy’s letting Yule lead a prayer). They touch on all of that in one final dinner, which was lovely despite the horror that engulfs them in the end.
I certainly recommend this film, I thought it was a genius social commentary that felt like the grandchild to Dr. Strangelove. Which is to say that I believe this movie will go down as one of the best satires of the era.
- ZB James
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