Last evening we watched “Don’t Look Up,” a December 2021 release, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett. It is a disaster movie that is an especially interesting satire on contemporary American society.
The story line is about an unheralded astronomy professor and his young Ph.D student at Michigan State who discover a giant meteor on track to collide with earth and destroy the planet. As they frantically try to alert the government and authorities, they run into unfathomable denials and political and bureaucratic roadblocks. It is a timely and scary picture of recent political and social behavior in the United States.
The president and her staff, the military, the media and press, people on the street and business community, all dismiss the threat for political reasons, personal success, profit or simply to an ignorance of the moment. One can’t watch it without thinking of the past five or six years and identify similar real-life examples of the fantasy portrayed on the screen.
Be sure to watch it. More importantly, think about it.
Thanks so much for the recommendation, Robert. Harvey and I watched it last night and it certainly was thought provoking. What a fabulous cast too! (I’ll bet Meryl Streep really enjoyed playing that part)
Happy New Year to you and Betty! Wishing you both good health and great times in 2022!
Thanks Barbara, just saw your comment. I imagine that film will get more traction in time. Best to you guys!