DEATH TO 2020
US, 2020, 70 minutes, Colour.
Samuel L.Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracy Ullman, Samson Kayo, Leslie Jones, Diane Morgan, Cristin Milioti, Joe Keery, Angelo Irving, narrated by Laurence Fishburne.
Directed by Al Campbell, Alice Mathias.
As one commentator put it, “I enjoyed it much more than I expected.�
While the title sounds universal, and there are some sequences from other countries in the world, including the bushfires in Australia, the explosion in Beirut, protests around the world, glimpses of Wuhan, the assassination of the Iranian general, this is a film very much for an English-speaking audience, focusing principally on the United States, giving attention to the United Kingdom.
For those of a “liberal� persuasion, it is very funny indeed, hitting so many of the right targets! For those of a more “conservative� perspective, it will not be very funny at all, especially in its targeting of Donald Trump.
In 70 minutes, a team of writers have been able to assemble key sequences from 2020, highlighting each month in which they occurred, edited well and with punch, so that there is an overview of what the year was like, especially in the United States.
While the whole film has been narrated by Laurence Fishburne, it opens with Samuel L. Jackson as a New York journalist, Dash Bracket! He makes sardonic and ironic comments, especially about race, throughout the film. On the other hand, Hugh Grant is disguised as an eccentric British historian, Tennyson Foss, delivering all kinds of opinions, prejudices, irritations in the inimitable Hugh Grant fashion.
And, there are a number of guest cameos throughout the film, Samson Kayo as a put-upon scientist explaining the covert situation while his words are accompanied by incongruous images; Leslie Jones as a tough-minded African- American commentator, few holds barred; and Lisa Kudrow sends up all those Trump White House spokespersons with her press conferences and denials. Two fictitious characters, Jim and Eric, played by British comedian Diane Morgan, and Kathy Flowers, played by American comedian, Cristin Miliotti, provide a kind of dumb chorus – Morgan as Gemma Nettick in England, very limited in her knowledge and expression, even mistaking the American election on television as a game show, and Cristin Milioti as Kathy Flowers all gush, innate prejudice, believing every conspiracy theory. Joe Keery appears as the young man exploiting it all on social media.
American comedian, with Asian background, Kumail Nanjiani plays a wealthy media tycoon with all the bland commentary that goes with it. And Tracy Ullman excels impersonating her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, with some very funny commentary about the world (and her response to The Crown). Boris Johnson is a continued target of the film.
The screenplay abounds with verbal jokes which come through very quickly – and, there are some visual jokes, especially when an Internet page or You Tube clip is shown and there are funny indications of further videos on the side.
But, the film is very telling about President Trump in 2020, his poor response to the coronavirus, his own personal tantrums, campaigning for the election, his demonstration outside the church in Washington, his getting covert-19, and, of course, his bad reaction to the election results.
This film should have an important place in every archive as a reminder, in mockumentary style, of course, of what 2020 was like, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom
