Beyond Pollution (2012)

Simply A Masterpiece

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Crappy film

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

You've gotta give the filmmakers credit for the extensive lengths they went to in researching this film. But it's not the first movie to be made on this kind of topic, the idiotic environmentalism topic, under which titles like An Inconvenient Truth, Wall E and An Artic Tale can be found. I love pollution and hate the environment, and am more than happy to do my part in polluting the earth, whether I'm spraying pesticides or littering or chucking used batteries in the woods. This movie did nothing to inspire me to clean up the earth, but nice try.Anyway, the movie is something a hippie would fall in love with. It's all about the "ruthless greed and corruption" of corporations responsible for the BP spill. Yeah, but don't these corporation owners and employees have families, too? Don't they get to tell their side of the story? Or are they just going to be portrayed as moneymaking pigs? They are, like anyone else, decent-enough people just trying to earn a living in a world where industry is changing and accidents can happen.The film poster/cover is misleading and very extreme, a figure coated from head-to-toe in black slime donning a gas mask as if the apocalypse is upon him (her?). A gas mask, seriously? Interesting cover art but a hazardous spill is no reason to put on a gas mask, it wasn't a chemical warfare attack, for crying out loud! As I'm writing this review, 'Beyond Pollution' has an 8.2/10 star rating, which I find rather shocking. Honestly I hate living in the environmental era, more and more films like this are coming out and even animation has an underlying environmental message. The only way you'll love this film is if you're a recycling, 'go green' bike-riding enviro-nut. I don't think I'll ever watch this again and I advise others not to, either. If you're into all that environmental crud, watch something less biased if you can find something (although most anti-pollution films are biased).

The Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club screened this film for our group in February 2013. Producers Harper Robinson and Chris Shaw were in attendance to answer questions after the film. This is an excellent documentary that not only looks at the spill and effects, but goes back in time to show what led up to the spill and how this could happen. It is a very well-done, thought provoking film. Director Barker White talks to fishermen, politicians, scientists, and business owners to get the real story about the state of the Gulf. What can you do to make sure this doesn't happen again? Just go to the website, www.beyondpollutionthefilm.com, and click on Join the Cause or Take Action.