So far this year we’ve seen returns from the Man of Steel, Cap’n Jack and Crockett and Tubbs. As comebacks go, though, you can’t beat that of perennial nearly-man Al Gore, who has bounced back from his almost-victory at the 2000 presidential election as a travelling activist on the perils of climate change.
Al has been banging the global-warming drum for a while now, requiring filmmaker Davis Guggenheim to do little more than park his camera and record his persuasive multimedia presentation for cinematic posterity. Where his doc surprises is in getting beneath the skin of this polished politician, exploring how Gore’s personal life and that devastating defeat at the polls steered and informed his crusade. Even more than a call to action, it’s a fascinating glimpse at the leader he might have been and, if rumours are to be believed, may yet become.
