In fact, the past two years have been, to put it mildly, chaotic around the world, and more and more events are happening that make us question the role we have played in what is our home – on planet Earth.
The covid-19 pandemic, the attack on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters, the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan and the hasty withdrawal of Americans, or even increasingly worrisome reports of climate change. If a few years ago we tried to look into the future, would we change something in our behavior?
Also, while denial focused on ideas, for example, that the earth was flat, we let the danger that was already lurking slip away from us without realizing it. The covid-19 pandemic and the growth of anti-vaccination groups have exposed one of the main dangers of modern society, such a simple one as lack of consensus and lack of faith in science.
And it was the desire to reflect on this paradigm that led American director Adam McKay to create his latest feature film Don’t Look Up, an “astronomical” production, both in its special effects and in its theme and cast: it brings together great stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry, Timothy Chalame, Mark Rylance and others, in a satirical story about the end of the world due to a possible comet collision. with the Earth.
Scenario Released on December 24 both in theaters and on Netflix’s streaming platform, DiCaprio has grossed € 30 million in a short time, and Jennifer Lawrence another 24 million seems to have no competition. However, it also sparked excitement on social media, gained a large following and became disenchanted with production.
In the film, astronomy doctoral student Keith Dibiaski, played by Jennifer Lawrence, discovers the existence of a large-scale asteroid four to nine kilometers in diameter. She and her advisor, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), confirm that she will collide with Earth within six months, ending the world. Desperate, they make contact with top NASA officials and head to the White House.
When a pair of scholars confront the disdain of US President Janie Orleans, starring Meryl Streep, a kind of Donald Trump in skirts, the film begins to exaggerate behind the scenes political and media movements. … Since the president considers them “low-ranking” scientists, researchers are not taken seriously, believing that they are “forced” to resort to the press: first a large-circulation newspaper, and then a television program that ends with “ridicule.” »Their image.
The media is more interested in topics such as divorces between music stars, the presidency is more focused on making money than protecting its citizens, and academics desperately need someone to listen and help.
Along with criticism of the political system and the press, there is also a mirror of what “our behavior” is on social media. The student whom Lawrence “gives life” becomes a meme, becomes a target of misogyny and becomes a kind of “villain” in the public sphere precisely because she warns of the “end of the world.”
In turn, DiCaprio, as in many real cases, thanks to his physical beauty and gender, wins the sympathy of the audience, which can be considered as a “durable” machismo present in society – since it was his student, a woman, who discovered the asteroid.
similarity to reality Then comes the alliance between politicians and mega-businessmen who “know little what they are doing,” showing the capitalist reality that we are inscribed in, always looking at the number of voters and dollars; the entertainment of tragedies with the performance of the artist Ariana Grande; denial promoted by governments and the huge ongoing problem of media full of fake news, “politically correct” speeches and fantasies in front of screens, full of “smiles” and with so little bro and professionalism. “How did we end up here? What are we going to do to understand each other again?” DiCaprio asks desperately in one of the most intense scenes in a feature film.
So it looks like what was meant to be “satire” may end up haunting audiences due to the size of the realism and the similarities to the times we live in. This asteroid, which some stubbornly deny, even when it is already visible from the sky, is also a metaphor for climate change, a reality that some states insist on “closing their eyes” because it brings them some benefit.
The director shows for two hours and 18 minutes of the film, as a blind denial, the ability to expose everything that we have, “at risk.” Maybe that’s why some already love the production, and many hate it. Also, while it may also sound like a metaphor for a pandemic, the production of the film began in November 2019.
The importance of production “I think we all see this film as an incredibly unique gift,” DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most environmentally active actors, told CNN. “We were trying to get the message across about the climate crisis, and Adam McKay was able to crack the code by creating this story,” he added, admitting that he had been looking for a film about the climate crisis for some time. but finding the right approach was not easy. “Either you’re making a film about an existential journey through a person’s life, or making a disaster film in which New York freezes over,” he explained.
DiCaprio also said that he was attracted to the script of the film because he “wanted to support scientists”: “I wanted to take off my hat to people who are dedicated to this problem, who know what they are talking about and are trying to give them a voice. I hope that films like this will start different conversations and more people will talk about this topic, which will ultimately put pressure on the private sector and the forces to implement change. ”
In the same interview, when asked about the name of the production, Meryl Streep admitted that she “still does not watch.” “We are not looking up yet, but we are doing everything in our power. There are many people who put themselves at risk and may be ridiculed, but the rest of us just risk being destroyed without paying attention to them, ”defended what is considered one of the greatest icons in Hollywood.
The film has already been nominated for a 2022 Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence have been nominated for Best Actor and Actress in the Musical or Comedy category.
