Bag It

I became aware of the plastic problem a couple years ago by joining on tour people who were really careful about consumming products made of it, but sort of missed out on spreading the feeling. When this movie got mentionned, I thought it would be the same as addicted to plastic which I watched last year, and some of the sequences were similar. It seemed to me that "bag it", more than a documentary on plastic bags explained more the dangers of using such materials, and the chemicals used to refine them, like Biphtenol A/BPA & Phtalates. Taken from the point of view of a "comonner" and not a "treehuger", the movie sets the situation from a general way rather than adressing an already radical audience, without being either condescendent or giving up much concessions either.

This is an issue I actually care a lot about and I had high hopes for it. Sadly, it's just weak. There are a lot of really powerful arguments in favor of their thesis, they just fail to explore any of them. After decades of batting this issue around, the back and forth has pushed both sides to find better arguments. They include only the weakest points in favor of a ban and pretend that the other side is all villains and morons. He doesn't even address the simple, obvious counterpoints and comes across like he has the most naive understanding of the subject. The on-the-street interviews don't even include people who are indifferent or in favor of plastic for purely selfish reasons and just don't care. He doesn't even address the massive amount of plastic that is mandated for public health (bet 2020 was quite the shock for him).

Bag it is a documentary with a simple and important message; our disposable society needs to change if we are to survive as a species. We are now using 1milion plastic bags per minute. Quite a few countries have banned their use including New Dehli, India, where they were clogging the drains and causing floods. Jeb Berrier travels from city to city and nation to nation illustrating the different ways they are dealing with the problem.

Berrier is sort of a less sarcastic and non confrontational version of Michael Moore. His wife is pregnant with their first child, so he is concerned about his baby's future. The numbers are staggering; 2 million plastic bottles every 5 minutes, requiring 17 million barrels of oil to produce and 12 billion dollars spent every year on bottled water.

Recycling turns out not to be the simple solution either, as every locale has vastly different guidelines with many categories. 260 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans from around the world annually, resulting in fish and birds, and in one particularity sad example, albatross's ingesting it as food and dying.

The last issue raised is the production of baby bottles and other products requiring BPA to produce. This chemical has been shown to increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, and to drastically alter the hormones levels in newborns.

Berrier has a light touch with an important topic and at 78 minutes, it is well edited with important information without being too preachy and he is a very likable host. Spread the word about this vital documentary and maybe we can make a difference.

Just counteracting the 10/10 reviews here. It's not there narratively, analytically, production-wise or in delivering on it's promise (any one would suffice). I am not sure it would even qualify as good, perhaps compared to it's counterparts. Defenitively solid background choice though, as it's quite digestable and lively.

To all that rate it 9/10 or 10/10: If you want to be responsible, maybe start with your statements.

The combination of a light touch and humor, real emotion (halfway into filming the on-screen narrator finds he is going to have a baby, so suddenly the issue involved gets much more personal), intelligent presentation of facts without screaming in your ear or overstatement, and the (sadly comic) attempts to be balanced and get the chemical industry to go on the record add up to a much more enjoyable and effective environmental documentary than most.

This is the kind of film that makes you want to change your own habits, and believe you can make a difference, while never feeling like you're sitting through a 'this is good for you' lecture. It reminded me of Michael Moore's documentaries, in its playful tone about a serious issue, but this has a lighter, less sarcastic, more lovable hand.

This would also be a terrific educational tool for 'tweens and teens (there's probably a bit too much slightly, good natured ribald humor for little kids, and some of the sad images of wildlife killed or injured by plastics might be a bit upsetting.

Kudos to all involved for this timely and important work that will certainly effect my relationship to plastics in my world.