The 11th Green

From what I can see, this film had a very limited release when it came out during the pandemic in 2020. I heard about it from a Project Unity podcast. I recommend it to anyone interested in the enigma of UFOs, even if you don't agree with all the details. And I didn't (for example, the possibility that elements of the government or military may be holding back breakthrough tech gleaned from UFOs). But, interestingly, other aspects of the movie wound up being supported by David Grusch's Congressional testimony in 2023, the Loose Threads document from 2022, etc. What the film lacks in big budget stuff, it makes up for in a wild, provocative story and good acting.

This is a dense, cerebral motion picture. It is not a crowd-pleaser, not the latest Netflix original. It will, however, reward your attentive and undistracted viewing. Devastating but hopeful, well-crafted with strong performances, this film tackles an important subject that merits serious attention.

The 11th Green begins understated: A passive reaction to a fantastical sighting; a monotone news report about preposterous technology. But audience beware: like a frog in a pot of slowly heated water, you won't know what hit you until you are boiling alive in the multi-faceted, technicolor time warp of auteur Christopher Munch's making. It's beautifully shot - some great desert frames and lasting images stick out as calming amongst the intellectual chaos. The briefly seen low budget CGI doesn't take away from the story - there's no time to unsuspend your disbelief when you're wrapping your head around outlandish hypotheticals intertwined with true to life historical figures, places, and events. The performances are acutely fun for the historically attuned. A psychedelic fever dream for the US history buff - or an active rejection of recent human history as we know it - you decide. This movie is the definition of what Sundance used to be for.

I just sat and watched this extraordinary and thoroughly entertaining movie. What an amazing job. The actors were wonderful. Ike came alive for me through his frisky relationship with Mamie and his warm friendship with his valet Moaney.

All of the old patriotic guys and the black and white footage were such a joy to watch. The production itself was beautifully done. Everything looked so good.

But most of all the underlining understanding and intelligence for humanity comes through in the writing. It is such a huge movie that looks at the dark forces and power. There was a lot of intrigue, complexity and research.

The Obama character was fabulous and Forrestal, when I saw the dedication at the end I sobbed. I think about my father who parachuted onto the bridge too far and that generation of men, some of whom were destroyed and some who had to decide what to do with the power they won. It is an epic tale of humanity and what we choose next.

When hate and fear and disinformation are the order of the day, you get this. An acid trip gone bad.