Global Warming: An Inconvenient Truth

Title: An Inconvenient Truth
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Producer/Public Information: Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns
Year: 2006
Length: 1 Hour, 36 Minutes
Format: .mp4
Language: English
Subtitles: None
Country: USA
Audio/Visual Quality: Superb
Film Type: Documentary
Subject: Global Warming
Theme or topic: Global Warming/Energy Crisis
Time and Place: 2005, Globally
Summary: Al Gore gives his presentation on the causes and effects of Global Warming, while interweaving his own story on how he came to be involved with the issue. He then goes on to explain how to fix this problem.
Review:
The film An Inconvenient Truth is a fairly decent watch. As he gives his presentation on Global Warming in concise and easy-to-understand language, he brings the facts of the issue to the American public. The general consensus seems to be that the facts he portrays in the film are accurate; however the consequences may be overblown for maximum impact (Bailey). While this is somewhat expected, as he's trying to emotionally hammer home the impact of the climate crisis on the somewhat apathetic citizens of the United States, using the film as a purely accurate basis should be regarded critically. It was very clear that a lot of the imagery and topics he picks (things like Hurricane Katrina, and using the 9/11 Memorial in the example of the rising sea level) are chosen for that emotional impact. This does call into question the veracity of his information to some extent: after all, if he chooses to use this imagery specifically because of its emotional reaction, what is its use intellectually? Luckily, it seems, beyond that emotional draw, it's all accurate.
The movie itself is enjoyable, although the interweaving of his personal story with the scientific evidence is iffy at best. It seems to become less a film trying to base itself on facts about Global Warming, and more a film based on Al Gore's specific quest to learn about Global Warming. Understandably, it seems he's trying to explain his credentials for creating this movie in the first place, but it comes off strained at best, and, pardon the language, masturbatory at worst. The points he made with the segments of his past were eventually drawn back into the issues at hand but it seemed to be very flimsy connections.
As always, when watching films of this nature, it's best to keep an open mind. It's enjoyable, not too dry to watch, and has decent information. I would recommend it at 7 out of 10 stars.