Review: French eco-doc ‘Tomorrow’ calls for action today
A forward-thinking take on addressing the demise of the human race, the French documentary “Tomorrow” swaps the usual handwringing doomsday prophesizing in favor of a decidedly more proactive approach.
Rattled by an ominous report by Bay Area professors Elizabeth Hadly and Anthony Barnosky warning of the looming realities of a tipping point concerning the state of the planet’s ecosystem, actress Mélanie Laurent (“Inglourious Basterds”) and activist Cyril Dion rolled up their sleeves and grappled with a way to share their concerns with a world “already fed up with catastrophes.”
The solution was to embark on a globe-trotting mission to find creative solutions to pressing environmental issues, from Detroit’s burgeoning urban farms to Copenhagen, which is well on its way to becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral city.
Although the film, which won France’s César award for best documentary, allows too many of its talking heads to drone on after their valid points are made, while displaying a weakness for twee pop ditties that continually — and distractingly — spring up on the soundtrack, its Earth Day weekend arrival certainly couldn’t be more timely.
Given the current U.S. administration’s position on climate science, Laurent and Dion’s passionate, off-the-beaten-path primer advocates thinking globally but acting locally with community-driven, grassroots alternatives that aren’t affected by any executive orders.
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‘Tomorrow’
In English and French with English subtitles
Not rated
Running time: 2 hours
Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills.
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