Title: The Lake
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Abby Ellis
Starring: Bonnie Baxter, The State of Utah
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins
What It Is: A documentary about the serious issue of the Great Salt lake drying up and how it puts all of Utah in danger. We follow two scientists as they try to convince their local government to take the issue seriously over the course of two years.
What We Think: Oh boy, this one was hard to watch. Let me get this out of the way: the message of the movie is an important one and the Great Salt Lake drying up is absolutely a subject that needs to be tackled in a documentary. Real people are endangered and affected by this. This review is not making light of these issues but merely critiquing the film as a film.
How do I put this…This film, a documentary about The Great Salt Lake drying up, was shot like a Jason Bourne movie. The filmmakers went a little too hard in the direction of drama for the story. For crying out loud, the intense music every two seconds was not warranted and the dramatic shots made real conversations feel scripted. It was like I was watching House of Cards and the movie was trying to hype me up for high octane . . . shots of birds flying over the Great Salt Lake. Also, I find it a little odd how the movie frames the head scientist like a rebellious political hero. It definitely felt like the film was framed to put him in a very “all-American hero” way. I will not comment on my opinions of all the individuals in the documentary, but did we need all the shots of them with their kids to dramatize their stakes? Maybe if it was one or two I wouldn’t mind, but there was an amount of emphasis that felt unwarranted. Especially when the action of the film takes place over the span of roughly two years? (If memory serves correctly)
Our Grade: C-, This was the first stinker of the season for me. It does get some points for alerting me to a real issue going on, however, the execution fell flat.
Another critique of this film? I was bored to tears. This is an important issue and I found myself struggling to stay awake. The presentation of the information could have been handled in a way that didn’t feel so performative. There was a way to make this documentary, but I fear this was not it.
Again, this is not making light of a serious issue that is occurring in Utah. The filmmakers just did not understand the assignment.
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