LA Times reviews The Unforeseen
The LA Times’ senior film critic Kenneth Turan reviewed the film and he liked it.
“The Unforeseen” has the title of a science fiction thriller, not a thoughtful documentary on the environment, but there’s truth in that packaging. As directed by Laura Dunn, this unusual film unfolds like a mournful whodunit, with the Earth itself being the victim of the crime.
Taking its title from the poem “Santa Clara Valley,” read in voice-over by the poet Wendell Berry in his best angry, Old Testament prophet style, “The Unforeseen” skirts the danger of being simply a tree-hugger movie, of reflexively coming out for clean air and water the way conservatives used to come out for motherhood, the flag and apple pie.
Instead this film, which took the Truer Than Fiction prize at Film Independent’s recent Spirit Awards, honors the intricacies of a complex subject. It depicts the battle between the competing interests of developers and environmentalists as it played out over a 30-year period in the area around Austin, Texas, and turns it into a convincing microcosm for land use issues everywhere.
The full review is available here.
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About The Unforeseen
The Unforeseen, executive produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Called "the best film at the festival, hands down" by Film Comment's Gavin Smith, the film documents the struggles between development and preservation of Austin Texas.