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It’s not often that a documentary can be compared to a heist movie like “Oceans 11” or “Inside Man.”
But “The Cove” isn’t a normal documentary.
Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos has created a film that’s both topical and intriguing, both informational and thrilling.
“The Cove” seeks to uncover and expose an annual dolphin slaughter that occurs every year in the tiny town of Taijii, Japan. Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near the town to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
On a larger scale, the movie discusses Japan’s problematic fishing industry and its unwillingness to compromise in order to help preserve the fragile ocean wildlife that sustains it.
The film’s true intrigue, however, lies not in the story it exposes, but in the process by which the crew attempts to capture the story itself. Psihoyos and his eclectic team must overcome a daunting number of obstacles, including possible deportation and a run-in with the Yakuza, in order to capture the footage necessary for exposing the town and its terrible secret.
The film opened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was the talk of the town. It walked away with the Documentary Audience Award as well as a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize. It’s already a frontrunner for the 2010 Oscar.
The issue of oceanic wildlife preservation is just starting to arrive in the American cinematic landscape. “The End of the Line” and, to a lesser extent, “Food, Inc” both deal with the problems associated with the massive consumption of seafood and will be released this year.
The best thing about “The Cove” is that it deals with this relevant issue without being too heavy-handed. The ragtag group of filmmakers, conservationists, and seafarers that Psihoyos assembles keeps the story light and interesting while still hitting home a hard truth.
They may not be robbing a casino like George Clooney and his cronies, but their story’s just as interesting and far more important.
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