Trouble the Water (2008) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2008
Director: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
Cast: Kimberly Roberts, Scott Michael Roberts, Brian, Larry Sims, Pearl
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 20 January 2008
Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes

The Movie Review

Trouble the Water film still 1


TROUBLE The WATER
Storyline:	N/A
Cast:	N/A
Ending:	N/A
Overall:

As we all probably have experienced the fun we had in watching a disaster film in a good movie theatre, we would probably get addicted in watching more and more spectacular disaster motion pictures. I remember watching Dante's Peak (1997) or Twister (1996) or 2012 (2009), I really had good moments with caramel popcorn in one hand and lemon ice tea in the other hand, sat in a comfort chair inside a cozy studio among all other enthusiastic moviegoers, those were something I always cherish. But ironically we are actually watching misfortunes of other people's life, and of course we could enjoy it because we know that it's simply a movie.

But what I'm about to show you today, is a real dreadful misfortunes of many people residing in southern part of America, this is a documentary movie about the notorious Hurricane Katrina. And for the sake of humanity, we should all watch this. Besides, Trouble the Water is definitely a really great motion picture. It's no rocket science and it's not even about science at all, it's about men's will to survive...

Hurricane Katrina made its landfall on August 29th 2005, a disaster that really changed the shape of the state and changed some people's way of thinking of their life and of their then-government at that time. This is a documentary film that follows the struggle of three adult African-American who had lived in Ninth Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana, before it went underwater. Meet, Kimberly Roberts, Scott Michael Roberts and Brian. Kimberly Roberts or better known now as Kold Madina is documenting everything about Katrina even since two weeks before it made landfall. Kold Madina and the filmmakers of Trouble the Water, Tia Lessin & Carl Deal, also have documented many things including the interview with Madina's neighbours, their struggling when Katrina was at its worst, combined with the footage of some government officials claiming they had been doing their job, the sight of the Ninth Ward before and after Katrina, and of course their journey to seek for better life after Katrina even though Katrina still haunts them.

Actually, every major disaster will make every normal person feel emotional. And to say it frankly, the first part of the movie, there is nothing uplifting about Trouble the Water. We will see the usual contents of any other disaster film, but in this doc flick, they're for real. The drama, the suffering, the victims, and even the sudden heroes. It's just both touching and emotional. On that time of crisis, some people did show their altruism and sense of humanity by helping others even though they didn't expect their good deeds be shown to the world. If that's not a true hero, then I don't know...

One of the main reasons why I always love to see a disaster movie, is truthfully in hoping to see what I called as 'Unlikely Friendship'... The time when some people who used to hate each other become friends closer than brothers, the time where people unite and decide to ease each other's sorrow. And since everything was real in Trouble the Water, then knowing that two adult males who usually dislike each other become brothers, is simply touching. It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite songs, "U Will Know" by Blacknuss Allstars, which in my opinion, a really good song with a really perfect music video to describe the relationship of those two men. This song and ever since I read about Hurricane Katrina on Stern magazine Nr. 37, I had expectation to see a really good and honest documentary about Katrina. Trouble the Water is simply the answer.

But anyhow, the 2nd part of the movie there is actually--if not implicitly--something uplifting in the everyday life of Kold Madina, and her relative in the form of their persistency in struggling for their lives and seemingly not knowing what's the meaning of 'Give Up'. It's apparent they really comprehend the meaning of 'Surviving' and 'reaching for better life'. So fellas, I don't mean anything condescending, but if you're feeling depressed because of something trivial, try to see this movie and then maybe you will find new-found appreciation of your life.

I don't know if this movie had been edited a lot or not, but the timing, the editing, and the pacing is perfect. I don't know about you fellow moviegoers, but living in the time right now, I really can relate to some incidents happening being documented in Trouble the Water. At least the abundant reality shows about one's will to survive and intensely updated news about poverty and flooding or to see the real victims of disaster that were sometimes actually your own relatives are all something heartbreaking. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when one of the survivors, Pearl, is thanking Kold Madina and telling her frankly how she appreciates all what she's done to her and then hugging her with a sincere sign of love in her eyes.

Touched, motivated, enraged and even a feeling of disgust towards some people are a steady feeling you would have when seeing this documentary. Actually, this movie knows no age boundary, kids alike would feel emotional too I guess, but for the adults, whew... It may render all of you speechless.