356. I Am Greta; movie review

 

 

I AM GRETA

Cert 12A

97 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, eating disorder references

Are the world's leaders and their advisors really so inept?

While I am full of admiration for Greta Thunberg's tenacity, I can't help wondering how she gained access to the top table so easily.

I would be cringing if I were the environmental advisor to President Macron and I saw him nodding sagely at the teenager.

Surely, she couldn't be telling him anything more than they would have already known?

If not, the advisor should be sacked, shouldn't they?

Indeed, if it is this easy for her to turn heads at the highest level, it should be a piece of cake to stop the burning of the Amazon rain forest or reduce plastic consumption, shouldn't it?

While we found Nathan Grossman's documentary interesting, we thought that it missed the answers to key questions. For example, how did Thunberg gain worldwide popularity so quickly?

This movie doesn't delve that deeply - merely being a fly-on-the-wall as Thunberg goes from being a little girl with a passion to a player on the world stage.

It presumes knowledge because it doesn't go into depth about the issues surrounding global warning nor does it investigate the methods used by Thunberg to gain wide attention.

Only in post-movie reading did I discover that all of her speeches are fact-checked by a team of scientists who support her.

The psychological and physical strain of the fight is seen to take its toll, manifesting itself in her not eating which understandably worries her father who is constantly at her side.

He has clearly put his life on hold for his daughter - even agreeing to sail to America in a tiny environmentally-free craft across fierce ocean so she could make her speech at the United Nations.

Meanwhile, he has to face myriad issues which beset a teenager who has Asperger's Syndrome.

I Am Greta gives an insight into one of the most remarkable figures of today. A girl who proved that there are no barriers to making a difference.

As said, it leaves plenty of questions unanswered but it gives us a starting point on understanding her motivations and also dispels many of the myths.

Reasons to watch: An insight into the young girl who changed world opinion

Reasons to avoid: There is absolutely no let-up

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Greta has all of her speeches fact-checked by scientists - sometimes up to five of them - to make sure everything she says is factually accurate, as well as being easy to understand.

The final word. Nathan Grossman: "What is unique with Greta is that she carries this enormous talent – which probably, to some extent, comes from her Asperger’s diagnosis and her way of cutting through the greenwashing – of being able to make these huge, weird facts very easily understandable. Because that’s how she sees the world; she compresses it that way.”  Independent

Share this post