10s Movie Review - Blackfish

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 83 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons, Dean Gomersall, Carol Ray, John Jett, Jeffrey Ventre

Description: A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.

Review: In 2010 the makers of “The Cove” received an Oscar for their shocking documentary. With their portrayal of the Japanese dolphin hunt and all the bloody scenes it entailed, the consumption of dolphin meat in the Asian country was exposed. In addition, the idyllic and romantic image of the dolphinarium was done away with a stroke. Flipper may have given the impression of enjoying himself immensely and appears to be performing tricks with all the pleasure in the world, the reality is much grimmer. The marine mammals were cornered in a Japanese bay and bloody butchered for their flesh and imprisoned in the dolphinarium. If you hadn’t developed enough of an aversion to dolphinariums after seeing “The Cove”, “Blackfish” might be the deciding factor.
The dolphin’s big brother, the orca aka killer whale, has it at least as hard. The appearance of the black and white whale is a lot more serious and threatening than that of the dolphin. Dolphins have the bad luck that their facial expressions and gurgling always make them seem to be laughing. The orca is a dangerous sea predator with remarkable social qualities and intelligence. A diver tells the emotional story of the capture of a group of young orcas who were cornered. Their parents, uncles and aunts did not flee, but in solidarity stayed nearby a few meters away when the young animals were caught. The young orcas did not survive and had to be cut open and stuffed with stones before being sunk to the bottom of the sea.  
As if the misery surrounding the capture wasn’t bad enough, the scope of “Blackfish” is even greater. This is also where it takes a different path than “The Cove”. There have been at least seventy cases in recent decades of incidents in which trainers in dolphinariums were killed, suffered very serious injuries or narrowly escaped them. The marine parks, of which the American Sea World is by the largest and best known, were happy to seep the incidents under the rug. In their view, the orca is a harmless and peaceful animals and it is actually always the trainer’s fault that accidents occurred. However, many former trainers and scientist agree that it is the captivity of the animals and the complete desperation that drives them to this behavior. The orca male Tilikum is a notable case in point. He cause a fatal accident in Canada in the 1990s. despite this, Sea World in Florida bought Tilikum where he caused trainer Dawn Brancheau to die a gruesome death in 2010.
It is a one-sided story. Documentary filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite can do little about it because Sea World did not want to cooperate. The only backlash given comes from a former trainer. On the other hand, she pushes her message hard. Despite the lack of an adversarial approach, the filmmaker succeeds in sketching a fascinating history of Tilikum and the many wrong decisions that the money-grubbing man has made. The image of trainers at the mercy of the orcas are both shocking and fascinating. There is some effect, because “Blackfish” is presented almost as a thriller. Downright shocking is the way Sea World tries to blame the accidents on the trainers. Touching and heartbreaking are the stories about mother orcas crying when their calves are taken from them.
The main conclusion of this impressive documentary is that sensitive animals like orcas simply belong in the wild

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (90)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Machete Kills
Description: Ex-Federale agent Machete (Danny Trejo) is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man - he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Carlos Estevez, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding, Jr., William Sadler, Mel Gibson
Trailer: Trailer "Machete Kills"
Comment: I liked the first one.

Prisoners
Description: Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His 6-year-old daughter and her young friend are missing, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect's release. Knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrance Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano
Trailer: Trailer "Prisoners"

Closed Circuit
Description: Two ex-lovers, Martin (Eric Bana) and Claudia (Rebecca Hall), find their loyalties tested and their lives at risk when they are joined together on the defense team in a terrorism trial.
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciarán Hinds, Julia Stiles, Anne-Marie Duff, Jim Broadbent
Trailer: Trailer"Closed Circuit"

Ain't Them Bodies Saints
Description: Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), an impassioned young outlaw couple on an extended crime spree, are finally apprehended by lawmen after a shootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth wounds a local officer, Bob takes the blame. But four years later, Bob escapes from prison and sets out to find Ruth and their daughter, born during his incarceration.
Director: David Lowery
Starring: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine
Trailer: Trailer "Ain't Them Bodies Saints"
Comment: Looks really good.

Blackfish
Description: Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Starring: -
Trailer: Traler "Blackfish"
Comment: I just hope that people now realize it's not a good idea to have such a great animal in captivity.