Becoming Cousteau

Too often when I watch documentaries about beloved folks, I notice that the films are not balanced at all and seem more like hero worship than a true biography. Well, fortunately, "Becoming Cousteau" is more balanced than I expected. Let me explain.... Jacques Cousteau was a wonderful person in some ways....and also a very, very flawed man in others. Surprisingly, the film shows both sides of him...the beloved explorer as well as the guy who could be a jerk when it comes to his personal life as well as what he put into his early film, "The Silent World"....where he and his crew committed some agricultural atrocities which are VERY noticeable today, as our sensibilities have changed. The only negative I would have loved to have learned about was his lawsuit against his surviving son, Jean-Michel. But otherwise, the film was very well made and complete...and leaves you admiring the man as well as realizing he was flawed as well.

Great story of a man who invented the scuba diving system, explored the worlds oceans and became a pioneer environmental activist.

When you watch all the great things he did like using his fame to lobby governments around the globe to sign a global treaty banning artic development he is a real inspiration.

His family story is fascinating and sad, he was a stoic individual and till his last days did his best to convince the world we have little time to save our planet, such meaningful words spoken decades before it was the norm.

He is sadly missed and that's why you mustn't miss this movie, watch it and get inspired.

A man with red beanie ... man for whom children stop playing just to watch undersea wonders on TV. It was a ritual for many children to watch Cousteau on television despite parent's protest for football game or some movie on other channel .... at least in my family or my friends as we all want's to be explorers or astronauts.

It's a shame that we only have Sir David now as no one younger want to pursue this form of career ...

Jacques and David, great mans who teach us to love nature in his many forms.

Very good documentary. It's also showing how early he warned the world what will happen to our planet and climate if we not change. But all this arrogant world leaders did noting. Money rules the world. Saddely.

I learned a lot from this film, it was packed with content and at points was compelling and tragic. I found its presentation to be a bit hap hazard in the way it jumped between voice over cameos, interviews, narration and footage, which made it feel a bit cluttered however I did leave with a clear sense of Cousteau's character journey.