Film: March of the Penguins
By this point everyone and their dog has reviewed and raved about March of the Penguins, so in a way, this review seems wholly unnecessary. Yet, like the subject matter itself, there is something compelling about the film and its search for--what, "humanity"? emotion? connection?--in one of the most harsh environments on Earth. Director Luc Jacquet succeeds in striking at primal urges common to all viewers (even all species): the nature of motivation, the need to care for and be cared about, the will to survive. In addition, the beauty of Antarctica's landscape, for example, or penguins flying through the water are sights we rarely see, and they are impressive. To that end, the brief 80 minutes or so that the film runs feels, above all, epic and meaningful, even in its simplicity.
The stars of this film are, of course, the penguins. With the help of Alex Wurman's effective (if slightly new age) score and Morgan Freeman's narration (general rule of thumb: everything gains gravitas when Freeman's slow, melodic voice fills the background. It's true--imagine Freeman narrating this review, even. All of a sudden I'm a good writer, huh?) the little birds become heroic, brave, loving, sad, pathetic, and all together human. We don't know, as the narrator points out, what exactly drives the penguins to do what they do, but Jacquet successfully ties in their activities to our own drives and tendencies. The way they care for their chicks, for example, while so different than the parenting process of humans, shares an emphasis on nurturing and tenderness that is moving. Similarly, when chicks die or are carried off by predators--a natural part of the animal kingdom--the director captures the loss and sadness of the parents beyond what we typically expect from animals. It can be powerful.
In some ways, the biggest problem with this film is that it's received so much hype. Like a hole-in-the-wall restaruant with great food, this is a film that would be better served if people were to stumble across it and find it on their own than it would by a large advertising campaign and wall to wall raves. After all, it is a documentary--and a nature documentary at that--so it deserves some of the quietness and dignity that typically denotes that genre. In fact, I thought about whether or not I should review this film for several days. I'd hate for someone to go in expecting too much and not be able to enjoy it like I did. But--like with that hole-in-the-wall restaurant--there's pleasure in sharing one of your own finds with friends. So take my advice: see a side of the world you've probably never seen, and enjoy it.
Final Score: 4 Cents
The stars of this film are, of course, the penguins. With the help of Alex Wurman's effective (if slightly new age) score and Morgan Freeman's narration (general rule of thumb: everything gains gravitas when Freeman's slow, melodic voice fills the background. It's true--imagine Freeman narrating this review, even. All of a sudden I'm a good writer, huh?) the little birds become heroic, brave, loving, sad, pathetic, and all together human. We don't know, as the narrator points out, what exactly drives the penguins to do what they do, but Jacquet successfully ties in their activities to our own drives and tendencies. The way they care for their chicks, for example, while so different than the parenting process of humans, shares an emphasis on nurturing and tenderness that is moving. Similarly, when chicks die or are carried off by predators--a natural part of the animal kingdom--the director captures the loss and sadness of the parents beyond what we typically expect from animals. It can be powerful.
In some ways, the biggest problem with this film is that it's received so much hype. Like a hole-in-the-wall restaruant with great food, this is a film that would be better served if people were to stumble across it and find it on their own than it would by a large advertising campaign and wall to wall raves. After all, it is a documentary--and a nature documentary at that--so it deserves some of the quietness and dignity that typically denotes that genre. In fact, I thought about whether or not I should review this film for several days. I'd hate for someone to go in expecting too much and not be able to enjoy it like I did. But--like with that hole-in-the-wall restaurant--there's pleasure in sharing one of your own finds with friends. So take my advice: see a side of the world you've probably never seen, and enjoy it.
Final Score: 4 Cents
Joel's two cents. | 1:57 PM
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