Deep Impact (1998)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1998
	Director: Mimi Leder (Thick as Thieves)
	Actors:  Robert Duvall (True Grit, The Godfather 1-2), Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park 3), Elijah Wood (The Faculty, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Maniac)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 08.12.2016, VOD, 32" TV
Synopsis: An astronomer discovers that a comet will crash on Earth. The government prepares for that event while reporter Jenny Lerner (Leoni) investigates the resignation of the minister of budget.
Review: Deep Impact and the similarly inspired Armageddon (a comparison is drawn in the review of that one) came at a time of renewed interest in the disaster movie genre, two years after Twister and one year after Volcano and Dante's Peak, when the studios were at their best in copying each other (remember in 2000 Mission to Mars, Red Planet and Ghosts of Mars?) I have a found memory of this one, and remember watching it countless time on VHS. Enjoying it again many years later I can remember why: for starters it does speak to the scientist and astronomer in me, although I now spotted many outrageous mistakes in the first 5 minutes of the movie. When I left those aside I could enjoy the rest of it. Then it shows a different take at the disaster movie, a bit like attempted in 2012 with Seeking a Friend for the End of the World directed by another woman Lorene Scafaria (more on that later). Indeed Deep Impact if profoundly focused on its human characters, not on the science of how to save to world or on the incumbent destruction scenes, although the few ones offered are remarkable in special effects and impact. My theory has always been that this quality was thanks to the female director Mimi Leder that did what no male could have done: bring sensitivity and focus on feelings in the middle of a world-class extinction event. It is done with talent, sometimes too much feeling, but always honesty. And I found that the editing as well was helping a lot progressing in the story thanks to many well-placed ellipses. I also remember thinking at that time that the movie was bold as being the first mainstream one (to my knowledge) casually showing an Afro-American president played wonderfully by Morgan Freeman at his best. Since then not only in the movies. An example of what disaster movies should show: how such events can bring the best in humans, not only how entertaining it can be to watch scene after scene of massive destruction.
Rating: 8 /10