Home (2009) Reviews

• The movie for ETs to study our extinction, or our escape from it.

  Stskyshaker2009-08-23

  I was gripped from start to end, at first by its breathtaking aerial footage, then progressively also by its even more breathtaking dramatic plot, which we all are living. No wonder Yann Arthus-Bertrand spent 15 years preparing for the production of Home. The narration is top-notch, arranged in perfect logic sense and fueled with precise and profound wording, reminds me of audio versions of Scientific American. I had thought it was a pity that David Attenborough wasn't a part of this amazing project, but Glenn Close, five-time Oscar nominee, indeed gave a mesmerizing voice performance, and along with a powerful score, deeply drew me into Home's elaborate illustrations and logical reasonings. Some might think this documentary is so emotive that it's more of a propaganda despite how fact-based it is, but isn't a subject like this meant to be emotive? No this is not the kind of documentary that presents you with non-judged information for you to consider and debate- of course it is not, it's telling you the most overwhelming and alarming truth through worldwide facts and images in a careful logic flow, and yes with a great lot of passion built in! Vastly connected with the daily life of everyone and the fate of the human race, the movie left me steeped in thoughts. Like said many times in the movie, everything is linked, I find tons of images flashing in my head rapidly after watching Home, and more importantly, now I look at them linked together in a meaningful way. Let me put it this way, if the entire human race were to be extinct on this planet, Home would be the recording that we should bury deep underground for extra-terrestrials to find out what happened and learn the lesson of our species- it is that good.

• A wake up call.. for all of us

  ZeroVince2009-06-05

  This is my first review on IMDb ever, but I thought this documentary deserved it. The cinematography of this documentary is amazing, even the images of pollution of the environment that humans have caused look remarkably appealing to the eye. But this documentary is much more than a stream of beautiful images from across the world. The message that the documentary contains is a strong one: unlike our nations, our ecosystem doesn't have any borders. As humans organized in nation states, we spend 12 times as much on weapons to defend ourselves from each other than we spend on aid for the poorest. The effects of the exploitation of our shared ecosystem will affect us all and will hit those who already face the toughest circumstances the hardest. The problems that our world faces, cannot be solved by any country alone. Too long have we focused on what separates us as citizens of specific countries, without realizing that we are all bound together as human beings. Without a rapidly growing global awareness of the situation we are facing, we will leave a much harsher environment for our children, in which natural resources on which we all depend will become increasingly scarce. I am a student in my twenties; the state the world is in today, is how my generation will inherit it, before we will have had the chance to have any effect on this trend. Can this really be the inheritance of a generation that dedicated itself to peace, love and happiness? Maybe. Or maybe it's not too late just yet. You might still be a skeptic about the message the documentary tries to convey after reading my comments, but I promise you this: it will be much harder to be skeptic about that message after having watched Home.

• Where are we going?

  GethinVanH2009-09-03

  Home is a documentary about Earth, humanity, nature, where we're going and what we've been. Shot in 54 countries with aerial footage it's a combination of all the navel-gazing movies we've seen lately like Planet Earth and Baraka. Like a guilty abusive adult, we're now taking a closer look at ourselves, what we've done to the planet and what we've to ourselves. That's in large part what the first 3/4 of the movie is about. Showing different locations on Earth, the stunning gliding shots of our planet's more beautiful locations as well as the terrible damage we've caused. In that way it's much different than Baraka and Planet Earth, the two films I compared this to. This movie talks about humans, not just their achievements but the economic chaos we've wrought on each other. The vast differences in class structure in the west from the east. The vast amounts of wealth owned by 2% of the population. Starvation, disease, war, are all covered in this documentary. It's not just about the nature but the capitalist system which has destroyed the planet and brought humanity to its knees. Many of these changes have occurred in the past 50-100 years. Vast change which is increasing to the point where urbanization is epidemic all over the planet. The melting icecaps are also covered in very nice detail. The consequences are of course very grim. Some of this information I knew but it's good to be reminded how we live in the western world which is rapidly destroying the planet and taking all the innocent passengers along with us. The movie was released on the internet, television and internet on the same day. It's on YouTube in its entirety, but I downloaded a high quality version from One Big Torrent which was very nice to watch. Probably one of the best movies of 2009 and one of the best documentaries of the year as well. I highly recommend it.

• Stunning, Scary and Optimistic

  planbeta2009-06-05

  Home delivers some of the most stunning photography of our planet I've ever seen. Really needs to be watched in HD to be be fully appreciated. Sweeping, glorious, rich shots of our planet, like we've never seen it before. Even more powerful than that - the content of this documentary. The underlying message of Home really drilled home - no pun intended - how we're devouring this planet to hairs breadth of the point-of-no-return, after all "we've chosen survival over prospering". It is really quite scary watching the desperate facts this film delivers one-by-one. At the same time, Home finishes in a upbeat manner. Home will definitely change the way I live my life - it's that powerful. Go watch it.

• Most Visually Stunning and Beautiful Movie You May Ever See

  cdin-org2009-06-26

  Perhaps it may seem that I overstate my appreciation for this movie. But, when you see the extraordinary compilation of beauty, work and effort that went into creating this work of ART, you may agree. It focuses on the breathtaking gorgeousness of this singular planet we call Home. Some may find this topic boring, repetitive, do-goody, tiresome... but trust me, this movie is BEYOND interesting and entertaining. Some of the scenes are absolutely SURREAL in their beauty. There is one scene of people in a dump... how can such a scene hold so much impact and yet be so artfully gorgeous? I can't get that misty picture out of my mind, and it has compelled me to hope and work towards solutions. In a good way. Uplifted. Question: How can a company (the one that sponsored the viewing of this movie) (Europa?) that thrives on promoting luxury and excess, care so much for the natural and inherent things of earth? It is true that such a company would cherish beauty and art... and the Earth is the most beauteous of all... perhaps when you've contributed to the downside, you grow and want to uplift, see things change for the good. Whatever... this is one of the most beautiful documentaries ever made and EVERYONE should make the effort to SEE. An extraordinary, unforgettable visual treat. For all time. AFTER you see this movie, you MUST see FOOD INC. You MUST!