RIVER'S END: CALIFORNIA 'S LATEST WATER WAR
GENRE: DOCUMENTARY
RELEASED: NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY JACOB MORRISON
SYNOPSIS: Filmmaker Jacob Morrison reveals California's complex struggle over who gets fresh water and how moneyed interests manipulate the system. Battles over uncertain water supplies herald an impending crisis - not just in California but around the world.
WHAT THIS FILM DOES WELL: A good documentary doesn't need to be flashy or super stylistic. It needs to tell a story, it really actually needs to reveal the story and do so in a manner that presents all sides of the issue being talked about. What Jacob Morrison does so well is really hammering home the theme and he does uses those tropes that one comes to expect from a good documentary, visual aids, news and entertain clips, and strong interview subjects with expert level knowledge that speak concisely, clearly, and in lament's terms so anyone would understand what is being said here. The fact Morrison is able to really craft a narrative that is compelling, stark, and still factual and smart really shows his care for not only the subject matter but for the craft of filmmaking itself. This is not a quick 80 minutes in choosing to do it this way but once you pick your jaw off the floor, or stop shaking your head (which you may never do actually) you absorb so much in that little bit of time. I also appreciated the soft alarmist approach. There was a little hammering and leaning to one side of this subject but it wasn't done so in the manner of shocking the audience or being overwrought with the kind of fervor that would envoke massive panic or this guttural doom or dreadful feeling. It does stay with you but you feel like you have gained a curiosity and perspective. That is good filmmaking. That is interesting storytelling.
WHY YOU NEED TO CHAMPION THIS DOCUMENTARY: Well if you are someone who loves knowledge, craves insight, and wants to be informed the subject matter here is of the utmost importance to our world and future then this film has to be added to your must watch list. Don't get me wrong when I said it is a soft alarmist approach. This subject is of the utmost importance and needs to definitely be heard and talked about more but as someone reviewing a movie, and when you see a lot of documentaries, there is this approach to want to be shocked and awed visually and theatrically that often leads to a more intense visceral experience that was really unnecessary. I think of Joe Friday who said"Just the facts." You really get that here from Jacob Morrison and I think if you are an artist who likes research, who likes to hear all sides, this movie will be something that stays with you and maybe even piques your curiosity to find out more. I especially think if you are a documentary fan who lives in California this almost has to be a must watch.
IF YOU ARE A FAN OF: Chinatown, Old School Documentaries, and An Inconvenient Truth you should check out this movie
YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT MATTER YOU CAN GO TO THE FILM'S WEBSITE HERE
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