Movies
Very pure comedy where simply everything is played for laughs. It's all extremely silly and over-the-top, but I feel that I often miss this type of film nowadays. The cast is well in on the joke, there are so many memorable quotes and even though not everything is funny, the hit to miss ratio is more than sufficient. Fun!
McKay repeats the little stunt he pulled with The Big Short, exchanging the 2008 crash with political figure Dick Cheney. It's a welcome update of the political biography, adding a little snark and sass to a genre that is generally pretty stale and predictable. McKay does well, but as he's repeating his own formula, it's not quite as novel as it could've been. The film follows the political career of Cheney, as he rises through the ranks, fades back into the background and gets his time in the spotlight when he is asked to become vice president next to George W. Bush. There, he would claim a lot of the power that was usually reserved for presidents only. McKay's sense of humor is what sets this film apart. The fake end credits and the restaurant scene in particular are real stand-outs. Performances are decent too, but it's not quite enough to keep an otherwise predictable film interesting from start to finish. Then again it certainly could've been a lot worse.Read all
McKay is slipping. The Big Short was an interesting film, but the more he tries to relive that success, the cringier his films seem to become. Don't Look Up is a satire that loves to make fun of the excesses and polarization of our society, but it never gives the impression that it understand the core reasons for these problems. Two scientists discover a meteoroid racing towards our planet. It's a planet-killer that will destroy all life on Earth, with only 6 months to find a solution there is no time to waste. When the scientists try to warn the general population, they get swept up by political greed, hungry media and a society that has lost its trust in science. Don't Look Up is a film embellished with famous actors, populism and easy satire, but it's never very funny or edgy, nor does it address any of the issues it wants to tackle. It's just having a quick laugh at the expense of societal issues, within the confines of safe Hollywood film making. A missed opportunity.Read all
