Don’t Look Up movie review : A superb satire with a totally enviable star cast

 

Don’t Look Up movie review: A superb satire with a totally enviable star cast

I have laughed and slow-clapped through the film that releases on Netflix today - 24th of December. The more you watch the film, the more it surprises you! It may be a satire on American politics, but you know you resonate with it too. Had Indian scientists discovered a comet that would be heading towards India, I am so sure our politicians would also be offering us such solutions to an impending cataclysmic event…

So a PhD candidate in astronomy Kate Dibiasky (played by ginger haired, nose ring sporting  Jennifer Lawrence) discovers a celestial phenomenon. It is a comet that is hurtling towards Earth at an incredible pace! She calls on her mentor Dr. Mindy who heads the Michigan State Astronomy department and tells him about this discovery.

Of course the comet is named Dibiasky (after the person who made the discovery) and when all the students calculate the trajectory of the comet and measure the size of the comet, everyone is alarmed. The comet comprises an asteroid that is huge - seven to eight kilometers wide and it is supposed to be crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

Leonardo Di Caprio transforms into a man with a haphazard beard, a dad body with acidity and anxiety and he’s very very good. Who’d have thought that the heartthrob of the Titanic would appear in this avatar?!

Obviously such news needs to be shared with the right authority. So the duo report to the Space Threats department at NASA headed by a Dr. Oglethorpe (played with an air of a sad uncle by Rob Morgan). When they go to the White House, be prepared for what happens next! Giving you fair warning; Keep hot liquids away from your mouth (or any drink!) or you might spill it while laughing. Keep popcorn away from your mouth or you will choke on it while laughing.

I admit I laughed and spewed tea on my keyboard when I saw what President Jane Orlean (played by the brilliant Meryl Streep) had to say. Plus, to see Jonah Hill as Secretary of State and also her son was like a pointed comment to how the former president of the US, Donald Trump placed his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner in prominent positions of power.

You can almost hear Indian politicians say, ‘Yagna karvaao so Gods can divert the incoming comet from falling on India.’ when faced with the same two astronomers who predict that a planet breaking comet will fall on Earth. The American president is facing other political problems so they are ignored. But when they realize that they can use the news of a disaster to distract the janata from political problems, the two are called back.

Now, after being ignored by the White House the first time, the two astronomers try to go to the press. Here, the writers show you brilliantly how newspapers and news websites and channels are now governed more by clicks and views. You slow clap at how people respond to ‘shouty woman’ and how Dr. Mindy who has been given a shave and some make up for their appearance at a glossy show gets nicknamed ‘AILF’ or Astronomers I’d Like To Fu**.

The whole deal about the imminent death of Earth is forgotten with rude memes of Jennifer Lawrence and Dr.Mindy distracted with sex with the talk show host, Brie Evantree (the gorgeous Cate Blanchett). Even Jennifer’s ex boyfriend Philip (played with complete credulity by Himesh Patel) cashes in by writing mean articles about Jennifer Lawrence and even announces a book.

When politics and the press ignores them both and sidetracks them, Kate Dibiasky takes up a job as a cashier at an alcohol store. Her current infamy makes her roll her eyes, but when she meets the group of skateboarders, who are her ‘fans’ she agrees to meeting up with them. After all, it’s the end of the world and they seem to like her!

The government in the meanwhile, in order to look like they need to get out of a political mess, decide to send nukes to break up the comet, and make a big ‘Look how I saved the world’ campaign. The title of the film when said aloud sounds like Trump's 'Lock Her Up' chant in the film.

Then the government secretly collaborate with…No,no! You must watch how the fun unfolds. Suffice it to say that it has to do with cell phones, money and billionaires escaping the disaster…