Viewed in
2010
Premise
A documentary trying to figure out who was responsible for the disappearance of American electric cars only ten years after its inception.
Liked
The clear narrative, and emotional second half.
Disliked
The pacing of the first half.
Thoughts
Educational and enlightening.
It started with a history of electric cars in the American auto industry, then focused on GM's EV1 during the late 1990's and early 2000's. Finally, it concluded with identifying the responsible parties.
The second half of the film was surprisingly strong. I never thought I would be emotionally invested in inanimate objects as they met their sad demise. Watching the events unfold on screen saddened, angered, and depressed me. Thankfully, the film makers made sure to end on an optimistic note.
I found the first half a bit hard to follow, like the documentarians were trying to cram in all this important information, but at too fast a pace for me to digest easily. I appreciated the history lessons, but maybe the whole film should have been organized by chapters, each chapter being the numerous suspects the film puts on trial at the end.
While it was one-sided, it was well-executed and made very clear arguments for its case with some undeniable facts. It definitely was frustrating to watch in 2010, after the U.S. government bailed these companies out.
What I would change
Removed some of the less-vital information in the first half, to make it easier to digest. It might have worked if the pacing was slowed down, but then you risk boring the audience with a two hour long documentary.
Personal
I was glad they included history on GM buying out and destroying the city trolleys in the 1920's. I would link you to an article I read if I remembered it. Nevertheless, it definitely added to their sleaziness.
Watching it after Mel Gibson's fall from grace, it added some unintentional comedy to his interview, sporting a crazy-man beard.
