2021 Directed by Liz Garbus
Its focus will be on the inventor-explorer-environmentalist-filmmaker revolution, i.e., giving mankind the resources to explore the ocean with the Aqua Lung, calling attention to ocean pollution, and his longtime collaboration.
“There’s an old man in a red bean-cap on deck”
An interesting exploration into one of the foundational aspects of Wes Anderson’s psyche.
Cousteau the man is absolutely fascinating, but sadly, Cousteau the documentary is a bit murky and tepid.
”Our films are not documentaries.
They are true adventure films.”
Hundreds of American schoolchildren rush forward, desperate for a glance at an old French sailor with a falcon nose and Iggy Pop's torso and anti-cap opinions who spent years at sea getting wet with his bronzed hunky boys.
What happened to us? We used to be cool.
Just a bunch of maladjusted dropout oceanauts seeking liberation from society by hanging out on boats in speedos while spear fishing, chain smoking, drinking wine, playing the accordion, winning Palme d'Ors, inventing, exploring, blowing shit up and trying to rehabilitate the shit they explored and blew up and save the future so we can evolve into Homo-Aquaticus.
“My Films are not documentaries! They are true adventure films.”
TIFF '21
Jacques Cousteau’s amazing journeys and struggles are recounted in this documentary, narrated by Vincent Cassel and directed by Liz Garbus. Cousteau’s journeys on the sea weren’t without struggles. Also a filmmaker, Cousteau felt “miserable” if he wasn’t filming. Funnily enough, he was incensed at the term “documentary” and thought his films were adventure films. Louis Malle worked as Cousteau’s camera operator, luckily for them both.
The most important part of the documentary was when Cousteau discovered that humans were destroying the fauna of the Continental Shelf by pollution and other causes and was prompted to create The Cousteau Society to protect the environment. He also started a petition to protect Antarctica, because it was clear that politicians wouldn’t…
i was hoping for a movie moment and meeting my soulmate in the theater but there were only 2 other people in there and they were both 60 year old women
really good documentary tho .
DEVASTATING we’re still having the same conversations about the environment that Cousteau was having 40 years ago.
DEVASTATING he determined it was too late to save our world and our children
DEVASTATING that society told men they can’t wear tiny shorts anymore.
DEVASTATING being an explorer is no longer a viable career path.
☆"Our films are not documentaries. They are true adventure films."☆
French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author, and researcher Jacques Cousteau could be described as all those and perhaps more things, but he referred to himself as an "oceanographic technician." In her economical documentary, Liz Garbus tries to highlight those multitudes, as Becoming Cousteau provides an intimate look at the titular figure with a particular focus on what the oceanographer would hope is his greatest and most important legacy: the preservation and conversation of the vulnerable planet he held so dear.
Plenty of programs and features have probably already recapped Cousteau's wonderful imagery, discoveries, and films that wowed even Cannes a few generations ago. But while Garbus…
I was disappointed there were no shots of the Portuguese crew member who plays David Bowie.
In all seriousness this was a solid doc that I walked away from having learned much more than I expected to. It was of course primarily interesting in its depiction of Cousteau as an oceanographer but I also appreciated the doc incorporating events from his personal life as it gave a fuller picture of the man on a relatable human level as well.
I was also surprised and unaware how environmentally unconcerned, and even harmful, Cousteau's operations were on oceans early in his career but loved the choice to include this as it makes his transformation into an outspoken environmental activist based on his…
