In 2005 Werner Herzog made Grizzly Man about Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived among Alaskan grizzly bears and was ultimately killed by one. The kindest thing to say about Treadwell was that he was a lost soul who’d finally found his calling, but in the film he came across as needy and delusional, not even remotely grounded in the real world, someone who wanted to make a difference but is the worst example for moving a cause forward. That it was a good film owes everything to Herzog’s passion for delving into the madness that can consume an individual.
In No Impact Man writer/blogger Colin Beavan decides he and his family will make no carbon impact on the environment for a year, cutting off electricity, only shopping locally, no new purchases, no toilet paper, etc. His altruism has a mixed message since this will be the basis for his next book. Leavened by his questioning his own motives throughout the film, his “madness” only the kvetching angst of warmed-over liberal guilt, he cops to all this but then passive/aggressively nudges his wife Michelle Conlin along on this eco-adventure. From the outset it’s obvious this year will affect Michelle and their 2-year-old daughter Isabella the most. A case of one person’s quest is another’s “where’s my latte?” since Michelle does like her iced espresso and shopping excursions.
The film and project feel only half thought out. Colin has a timeline and has done research, but Michelle is always caught a little off guard when each step is sprung on her. She works at Business Week so how did they press her suits? Witness the refrigeration experiment, and was doing the laundry in the bathtub that much fun every time? There’s never a point where either wants to rend their American Apparel clothing in frustration, but the ability to suffer setbacks with good grace and courtesy only means you’d never be on “real” reality TV and it’s a little hard to sympathize with people trying something like this who have good jobs and live in New York City. It’s been said that if you really can’t afford to live organic or green, you’ll buy the Wonderbread when food needs to go on the table. There’s an impression of a loading of the dice in the message, that off camera it was all harder than they let on, yet the year seems to end up a series of small bumps by the light of beeswax candles on the fair trade/greenhouse gas-limiting road.
Michelle and Colin are an easy-going couple, intelligent and good natured, trying a different direction for their lives. Colin is insufferable one moment then insightful and humbled the next, as we all can be. He’s genuinely enthused, especially when talking with young people about the project, and they’ve made permanent changes in their lives. He’s in no way the worst example for a cause, but in the end it’s preaching to the converted. At least it’s done without a Michael Moore solar-powered bullhorn. – [DVD]
Documentary
Not Rated
DVD Release Date: 1/19/10
[...] No Impact Man (2009) - A look at the personal fallout resulting from one man’s decision to eliminate his family’s impact on the environment in downtown Manhattan. – [imdb] – click here to read our review! [...]