The 11th Hour (2007) - Movie Review

As you may intuit from its title, The 11th Hour warns us that we're at that last moment when change can be made to avoid global environmental disaster.

Not that disaster isn’t already on the march: drought, famine, flooding, hurricanes, acid rain, the highest average temperatures in history and other catastrophes are interpreted in this documentary film as clues to humanity’s future--and possible demise--on this fragile planet we call home.

Actually, The 11th Hour is what might be described as the grand tour of so-called natural disasters.

While taking us on this frightening journey of exploration, co-directors Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners present an impressive roster of experts--former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, scientist Stephen Hawking and former CIA head James Woolsey, among 50 others with impeccable credentials and unquestionable authority--who help them piece together a compelling case that we’re living in what might be termed ‘the age of environment,’ and that we had best heed the signs--global warnings, really--of what is to come.

But we’re also living in the age of celebrity, where the presence of an A-lister helps to draw attention to independent films, especially documentaries, with lower-than-usual budgets for publicity.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who produced, co-wrote and narrates The 11th Hour, uses his considerable clout and personal resources to focus the public's attention on current environmental issues, climate related events and recent catastrophes. As he traipses through the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Katrina and other 'natural' disasters, DiCaprio presents a global warning: If global warming isn't quickly abated, the earth will no longer be able to sustain human life. And then, where do we go?

The 11th Hour premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and was released theatrically in New York and Los Angeles during August, 2007, with wider release in September.

If you were given pause by what you learned from Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth, you'll be truly alarmed by the facts presented in The 11th Hour. The film is a wake up call for you to step up and become actively engaged in finding solutions to our pressing environmental problems, both by changing your own behavior and by supporting the movement to protect and preserve mother earth. Even if you consider yourself a knowledgeable environmental activist, hearing what Grobachev, Woolsey and Hawking have to say will convince you to step up your efforts.