The Cove (2009)

Directed by: Louie Psihoyos

**

The Cove is a documentary that really didn't know what it was trying to say. It was effective in covering most of its agendas but anytime I started to become invested with something, I was presented with another issue, perhaps big enough and relevant enough for a documentary of its own.

The key component, the primary issue that is focused on in The Cove is the mistreatment of dolphins in the town of Taiji, Japan. I use the term mistreatment lightly as essentially what is going on in Taiji is the slaughter of dolphins.  Through the use of hidden camera, thermal imaging and some serious covert missions, a group of activists attempt to raise international attention towards inhumane goings on in this small cove.

Before we are really exposed to this, but after its introduced, the film changes gears and we learn the story first hand of Ric O'Barry, a dolphin trainer who worked with the original Flipper and started what has become a multi-million dollar industry keeping dolphins in captivity. Now, a wiser man who understands the dangers of captivity, his sole mission in life is to free dolphins, to save them and to fight for them. O'Barry is genuine and understandable. He's not cliche in the sense that Michael Vick now donates money to help dogs. O'Barry never harmed dolphins, he simply took part in the creation of an industry that has evolved into something bigger and badder.  So at this point, it is suggested that the cove full of trapped dolphins in Japan is set up for the use of capturing and selling live dolphins to Sea World and 'Swim with the Dolphins' type facilities.  If that is the case, why all the black hat operations? Why do the people who work in this cove hate anyone with a camera and do whatever they can to get them arrested so they'll go away. And if they are hiding something worse, why spend time telling us that captivity is bad?

Perhaps it was just a preface or a lead in of sorts. The film could have been preparing us as an audience by saying, yes, captivity is harmful to dolphins but you haven't seen anything yet. That could be... so show us then? What is going on? What are they hiding? Why is it so important that these activists expose these people to the world? It turns out that people need to know what's going on because in Japan, dolphin meat is eaten, yet contains a toxic level of mercury. As a result, children in Japan are being diagnosed with a extremely debilitating disease called Minamata.  This is not only important, but relevant and informative. I like seafood, I wouldn't be apposed to trying dolphin... well I wouldn't have. But I'd prefer not to have this disease that sounds as if its unpreventable should you each the diseased animal.  So, I appreciate the useful information but if you are simply making a human interest story then get off your high horse and stop pretending its the dolphins you care about.

Finally, the activists covert mission is completed, cameras are in place and recordings of a blood stained cove and hundreds of slaughtered dolphins are exposed to the world. It was gruesome, but it appeared that no dolphins were being spared for the sake of selling them to Sea World, so I'm not sure what that half hour of the movie was all about.

Director and activist Louie Psihoyos, Ric O'Barry, free divers, surfers (one of whom is Hayden Panettiere, not sure if its called a cameo when it lasts seconds and is totally irrelevant) all preach how important it is that these dolphin killers be stopped. Yes, a first and important step is to raise awareness and I'm sure they haven't stopped trying, but there is very little heart to this movie. The heart and passion that I'm certain these people have towards what they are doing does not translate and as a result, so many of them come across as fake and annoying. A powerful issue doesn't make a powerful movie by itself.  I felt like The Cove expected its cause to have such a universal appeal that the kind of effort put into said cause wouldn't need to be applied to making a movie.  It appears that that idea is working to some extent as this film has gotten a lot of recognition but it didn't work for me. I wonder, is the film getting the recognition, or is the issue it surrounds? Either way, the filmmakers accomplished what they set out to do with the movie.