Release Date: 8/7/09 (Limited)
The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos former Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society, is an informative and eye opening documentary about the shocking slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. This documentary is heartbreaking and very well made. It is told in a style of a Michael Moore film, but with the pace and edge of your seat moments similar to the Academy Award winning documentary Man on Wire. But unlike Man on Wire this isn’t a reenactment of some event, this is filmed as it is happening and follows a group of brave men and women lead by Ric O’Barry who set out to uncover the secrets of this horrible town.
Off the coast of Japan lies a shocking secret that a few desperate men will stop at nothing to keep hidden from the world. In Taiji, Japan, former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins that played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.” One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent creatures must never be subjected to human captivity again. His mission has brought him to Taiji where is a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and a sneaky market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen act. The nature of what they do is so chilling and the consequences are so dangerous to human health that they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.
The Cove is the reason why documentaries are made. It has a motive for being created, to inform the world of a secret that is so horrible that it’s almost unbelievable. It has a heart and soul of it’s own, which makes it that much more powerful. There is no possible way that this won’t be nominated for best documentary, if it fails to be then there is truly something wrong with that category. It has everything you want in a documentary. The concept, which is a very good one because most people from our country might not even know that this is going on, because people in Japan don’t even know it’s happening. A great lead character in O’Barry, who you can’t help but to feel for because he really has a passion and love for the animals. He gets emotional a couple times while being interviewed and you can’t help but to feel for the man.
The last 15 minutes are what make the documentary what it is. The whole time we see this Ocean’s Eleven type group who work together with top of the line equipment to catch a glimpse of what happens in the cove and that is all building up to the conclusion. Well let’s just say I had my hand over my mouth for the entire ending and it really does shock you to where you want to make a difference, because what’s going on over there is upsetting. This documentary is sure to stay with you for a long time, I know it will irk me for some time to come.
“I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be heroes, just for one day”
http://www.takepart.com/thecove/
Stamp it….MADE!!!
Imdb: 8.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Moviewisegys: 9/10
