Impartiality in documentaries is all well
and good in theory, but in practice it generally leads to a tough sit.
Not nearly as hippie-dippy as it sounds, the new eco-doc Earth
Days paints a pointed, occasionally freaky picture of the dire
state of the planet. Featuring a wealth of facts from a number of
genial brainiacs, this is an easily understood, swift-moving infodump,
aided mightily by a booming score from Pixar regular Michael Giacchino.
That said, if you tend to believe that Ronald Reagan wasn’t actually
the devil in human form, this may not be the movie for you.
Beginning with a wittily depressing montage of presidents trumpeting
immediate change, director Robert Stone’s film covers roughly the span
between JFK and Reagan. As the population exploded and natural
resources steadily dwindled, a small number of forward-thinking types
attempted to alert the general populace about the dark times ahead.
Talking heads include activists, scientists, rebel politicians, a
former astronaut, and, most winningly, a futurist who readily admits to
being zonked on LSD while hatching his initial theories. Throughout,
the director does an admirable job of highlighting the strengths of the
hacky-sack movement, while also noting the occasional grievous
lifestyle misstep. (Naked communal gardening just wasn’t a good look
for anyone.)
There are bumps, to be sure: Compelling as it generally is, the
message sometime seems stuck on repeat, and Stone’s choice of vintage
film clips to illustrate points, however clever, is a bit too on the
nose. (It might be time to retire the old Iron Eyes Cody pollution
clip, guys.) What ultimately sticks, though, is a bunch of planet-sized
brains secure enough in their doomy conclusions to deliver essential
information without being strident about it. If you’re going to be
talked at, this is the way to go. 