I Am Greta

My favourite part of this film is that it reserved judgment one way or another about the subject that they were covering so intimately, which must have been quite a tight-rope to walk, but they succeeding in this perfectly.

I don't usually comment on others' reviews, but I have to add that I suspect the vast majority of people giving this a 1/10 (a 1? Those aren't serious votes or Leni Riefenstahl's films would all get 1/10 if the only merit measured is the popularity of the subject matter, come on now) I would bet my left arm never watched this film at all, at most they have read synopses of parts some alt-right website found a hair to split with on Facebook or 8chan or wherever, and are basing their votes purely based on what their particular political cult tells them is bad or good.

So don't heed the low rating this gets on IMDb, this really is an emotionally engaging and insight film no matter whether you are someone who even doesn't believe man-made climate change is real. I watched this with one guy, an Engineer, who thinks climate change is actually due to environmental encroachment. the other one a QAnon-believing III%er, and we talked about the film for a good two hours afterward, which I think is a sign of a successful film in my books.

Last night it was so refreshing to be back at the cinema for the first time in a few months. It was a good cinema experience as well, only a few people went to the movie and none of them thought it was a good idea to text or be annoying in general, I have one complaint though, I hate leather seats so after about an hour my bum was really sweaty and uncomfortable no matter what position I was sitting in. Besides that I don't have any major issues with I am Greta.

Greta Thunberg is a really interesting person I wanted to learn more about before going into this documentary. By the end I got everything I wanted out of a documentary like this one and more. I knew she had Aspergers but I didn't know about her struggles with anxiety, depression or selective mutism, I can only applaud her for doing so much public speaking and pushing past all of these things knowing that nobody else is going to stand up for what is right. If you think these "disabilities" mean that Greta should not be taken seriously then you are an idiot. Often times people with aspergers have very high intelligence, great verbal skills, ability to absorb and retain large amount of information, ability to think in visual images, be very self motivated, ability to think outside the box and generate novel solutions to problems (like climate change) and might show a strong aptitude for a particular topic. The list goes on.

The presentation was a bit bland and some of the shot composition made it tough to know what was happening in only a couple of scenes. But I understand that when filming a documentary often you can't get the ideal shots and have to work with what you have. I also thought that the one soundtrack song was really out of place and was very unnecessary, the score was fairly generic but it was effective. I would have liked to see more of her internal struggle before attending the protests and I would have liked to see more of how it was to travel on a boat for 15 straight days as well.

My favourite part of the entire experience was exposing many world leaders for being phony and not listening to what Greta and the thousands of protestors from around the world are saying. A lot of the current world leaders simply refuse climate change calling it a hoax and saying that the science is faked, or they just aren't acknowledging that it is a crisis. This is so ridiculously arrogant or just stupid, either way do we want anyone like that in charge of our country?

Climate is a colossal issue that absolutely has to be acted on soon or there will be no future. If you refuse climate change or think that because Greta has asperger syndrome, OCD and selective mutism she is uninformed and lying about this issue you don't deserve to be in the position you are in right now, all you are doing is destroying our planet without thinking of anyone but yourself, you are arrogant, uneducated, and selfish.

As much as it may seem like Greta Thunberg could be a puppet that's been planted to further a cause, that couldn't be further from the truth. Greta started her climate protest completely alone, sitting outside the Swedish parliament with her little placard, just over 2yrs ago, and in many ways, she's still alone. All of the media frenzy and being put on a pedestal were never something that she wanted, but her drive has remained the same right from day one.

The film begins with her sitting on a small sailing boat careering across the width of the Atlantic Ocean in treacherous seas to avoid the need for flying. Even at 16, she is prepared to do what she has to, to avoid the venom of her detractors, and there have been many detractors, up to and including several known Presidents.

Whats really cringeworthy in the film is how so many politicians want to take a selfie with her, clearly to make it look like they're doing something proactive, but Gretas (quite obvious) refusal to smile in these self centred attempts at righteousness makes the photos speak for themselves.

Its a bizarre world where grown men and women will attack a child, even including making fun of her Aspergers, when they feel the silver lined status quo they have been enjoying might be getting threatened. But Greta has never said anything that isn't based on science, but then most people don't read science, they read football scores, watch celebrities on TV, and snack on their McDonald's. How dare a little girl suggest that all is not well on Planet Earth? I mean that's just not right, is it? But hey the Pope says he's behind her, and the "entire Catholic world" too, so maybe those death threats she gets arent too much to worry about. Not yet anyway.

This is not a particularly happy film, the scenes later on in the movie where she's on that small yacht (crossing the Atlantic) crying and wondering what's she's doing, is magnified by the ghostly wail of the wind in the rigging and no land in sight. But here we are, looking at a child bringing more attention to the climate cause than any adult probably ever has. It's enough to make most of us feel inadequate.

The conclusion shows what happened in September 2019, just one year after Gretas one girl protest in Sweden, where over 7million people across the world marched to make their voices heard about the lack of action on climate issues. And this will undoubtedly go on, despite the (diminishing number of) detractors that are out there. I guess you just can't ignore what's happening any longer.

An interest documentary if you want a little insight into how things started.

Your rating on imdb should be about if you liked the documentary and not if you believe in what Greta stands for.

'I am Greta' is a beautiful portret how one small girl started a movement. The sequence of her public speeches she has written herself shows what an exceptionally gifted person she is. And how the world leaders have no idea how to react to that. The film also zooms in on her vulnerable sides as a result of the immense pressure on her shoulders.

I really enjoyed watching it and had a lump in my throat during a big part of it.

Post-Covid cinema return with Gertie.

Slickly assembled, politely intrusive and sometimes affecting; I Am Greta fleshes out the eco-warrior and her supportive family. Greta herself quips "a very surreal movie because the plot would be so unlikely."

Scenes between Greta and her omnipresent father are the most touching, particularly instances when he pleads her to make time in her gruelling schedule to eat (a banana). And of particular interest was Greta's uncomfortableness with the prospect of heightened media interest.

It all concludes with the epic, horrendous sailing to New York. "I don't want to have to do all this," she tearfully confides as waves crash against the hull. "It's too much for me." Greta is visible in her truest and most relatable form: a frightened young girl at the mercy of a natural world she hopes to protect, who simply wants to be at home with her dogs.