Review: Quick, how do you make the 2006 Documentary An Inconvenient Truth sexy? The answer: substitute Leonardo DeCaprio for Al Gore, replace a snazzy keynote presentation with Planet Earth-esque visuals and interviews with Stephen Hawking and Mikhail Gorbachev, and add a soundtrack featuring Sigur Ros and other Euro-ambient rock artists. Yes, 11th Hour is nothing more than an upgrade over a good concept to begin with (An Inconvenient Truth 2.0 if you will) and I’ll be honest, if you’ve already seen Gore’s documentary, then there isn’t much more to expect from 11th Hour. But, if you haven’t seen either, I recommend DeCaprio’s film (Ok, technically DeCaprio only produced and narrated the documentary, but whatever, you know what I mean). The overall message of the two is identical, but 11th Hour clearly studied the mistakes and pitfalls An Inconvenient Truth failed to overcome. For one, Gore is never even mentioned. Secondly, DeCaprio doesn’t try to sound like an expert; he merely presents himself as a concerned citizen. Instead of making blanket statements, he introduces audiences to various specialists who detail what they’ve learned. It’s an obvious, but sorely under appreciated fact that it’s easier to doubt a celebrity’s knowledge of science then someone like Stephen Hawking. Directors Leila Petersen and Nadia Conners also try to strike a different, more emotive chord with their audiences. 11th Hour wraps its interviews around visuals from around the globe, demonstrating the beauty of the Earth and the destructive practices already taking place. Interviews not only contain facts but psychological reflections on life and our relationship with nature. So instead of “we need to do these specific things to fix the environment,” the argument instead follows “we need to change our very thinking on how we relate to the environment.” I’m not saying it’s an argument that will win over more politicians, but I do think it’s a shift in the whole Global Warming debate that is more compelling. I know plenty of people who are skeptical of the dire situation our environment faces, but many of those even admit that we need to change general practices and our overall collective thinking towards the environment. Of course, many environmentalists will complain that it doesn’t go far enough in convincing people of the hazards we face, while believe it’s just another celebrity spreading the doom and gloom views of our situation. The point is not to focus on these outlier groups but to focus on the larger middle section that is not wholly sold (one way or the other) on the debate. I’m also a huge fan of the soundtrack compiled for 11th Hour. It’s not something I would go out and buy, but it fits so perfectly within the realm of the film. Musical compilations of various bands are usually uneven, working solely in the context of a 20 second sequence. But here, the music almost acts as an original score, seamlessly transitioning from one scene to the next- each song presenting moods of both beauty and impending doom. At the very least, fans of Sigur Ros will definitely enjoy an album that will introduce them to new, like-minded artists. The problem with 11th Hour is that I really did enjoy it more then An Inconvenient Truth, but it’s hard to give it a better rating. Even if the argument is more clear, concise and convincing, it’s still just a rehashing of an original thought (ok, not original, but Gore and Guggenheim did push the Global Warming debate further into the mainstream public then anyone else before). It’s like listening to Jimi Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower. Yes, it is a great song and in many way’s preferred over Bob Dylan’s original version, but you can’t rank it higher because, in the end, it’s still just a cover. No, Al Gore is not nearly as amazing as Bob Dylan, but I think you can see my point. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 4- detailed and varied interviews provide a psychological depth most ‘Green movies’ ignore Entertainment: 3- Great soundtrack, but even Leo’s pretty face won’t make this an enthralling piece Technical: 4- well paced with breathtaking snapshots of the Earth Overall: 3.5 – better then An Inconvenient Truth, but it loses points for its ‘poser qualities’
 
Format: DVD Year: 2007 Running Time: 92 Min Distributor: Warner Independent Pictures Producer: Chuck Castleberry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brian Gerber and Leila Conners Petersen Director: Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Petersen Date Reviewed: 1-23-2009 Story: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary on the global environmental crisis paints a portrait of a planet at risk while also offering some exciting and radical solutions for making life on earth sustainable. Tapping the brains of leading scientists and thinkers -- including Stephen Hawking and Mikhail Gorbachev -- the film ultimately delivers a hopeful message: Our planet may be in crisis, but that doesn't mean it's too late change (NetFlix).