I went to a screening of the new film, FUEL, in Santa Monica this past Friday. Here is the movie’s trailer:
Let me begin my short review with a reservation, IN GENERAL, I don’t enjoy these types of movies that much. I find in general I don’t learn very much, and I find it is innapropriate to try and inform and educate people in a movie setting where you have a completely captured audience like that. I just think it is too easy to spread incorrect facts, or overlly biased versions of facts, to an audience who has no choice but to sit quietly for an hour and a half and have them pounded into them. Even worst for me, as someone who has been tracking the issue covered for the movie, for just about as long as the writer of the movie itself, I knew going into it that I wasn’t about to learn anything new; in the end, this point proved true.
Ok, now, my bias aside, overall I thought the movie was pretty good. I mean, pretty good production value, and for those who have not been folloing the bio-fuels history of the past 10 years, it provides some good background on the rise and fall, and potential rise again of Bio-fuels as a viable alternative energy source.
I have plenty of critiques as well. First, the movie tried to do TOO MUCH. In addition to trying to give background on Bio-fuels, it also tried to document the personal life story of the Director Josh Tickell, a guy who seems nice enough, but who also seems to have a super sized ego. Particulalry the sweeping shots of Josh walking along the beach, reflecting on his thoughts and life, felt forced and distached to the movie as a whole. Another movie goer who has worked in alternative fuels for many years commented that he thought Tickler seemed to be taking credit for the whole of the Biofuels emergence all together. In addition, I thought the movie tried to cover too much ground in terms of topics, and it became jarring for the movie viewers.. One second we’re following the life and death of Rudolph Diesel, and the next second we’re looking at the environmental degradation around New Orleans, and then at oil interests in the middle east, and then at Tickell’s roadtrip around the US. It was just a bit much, and honestly, entire movies could have been made on half of the subjects Tickell only begins to scratch the surface on, leaving the viewer unfullfuilled with many of the discussions and eager for an explanation as to how this is all supposed to connect.
Another more accute problem I had with the movie, has to do with something the movie left out… and that is the issue of top soil erosion, and its role in slowly washing away the soils and lands the feed the world. People look at soil like we once looked at the atmosphere, as a limitless resource that humanity can do no harm to… but this is just flat wrong, and the reality is, that biofuel crops are being grown at the expense of our soils, soils which should be preserved for an even higher need: FOOD.
If you don’t believe me, or would like to learn more about Top Soil Erosion, check out this article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/348200_dirt22.html
So, basically, those are my thoughts. If this were “At the Movies,” I would give the movie a “Rent It” rating particularly if you have been following the history of alternartive fuels over the past 5 to 10 years. If you are a newbie, and are looking for an imperfect crash course on Biofuels, then I would say its worth seeing at the theater.
One last note, Larry David 5 second appearance made me crack up… haha loved it. Oh and Josh Tickell’s fiance, who produced much of the music, did a fantastic job…
Finally, I’m sure I missed a bunch of other critiques and also praises… please comment if you have seen the movie as well and share your thoughts.
