'Totally Under Control' Or not? New Doc Reveals Trump’s Doomed Covid Response
‘Totally Under Control’ is free to watch on Screening Room until 3rd November, with a live online Q&A with director Alex Gibney on 2nd November at 8PM EST - register here for free.
Totally Under Control (2020) by Alex Gibney: 7/10
A couple of minutes into Totally Under Control , the latest documentary by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, the question many have asked themselves in the nine months since America’s first patient tested positive for coronavirus is posed: “why did the United States fail to reckon with a danger for which it should have been so well prepared?”
What follows is two hours of in-depth analysis of every move made President Donald Trump’s administration before and during the pandemic that creates a clear path to understanding how the United States has failed to contain the virus, resulting in over 8 million confirmed cases and more than 226,000 deaths. As Gibney lays out America’s handling of the pandemic, one where politics got in the way of science, he also explores how South Korea’s different approach of allowing scientists to take charge and politicians to stay out of the virus’ response has saved millions of lives. To date, South Korea has only seen approximately 26,000 cases of the deadly virus.
In what has been a relentless year in American news, Totally Under Control offers a comprehensive summary of many of the biggest headlines of the White House’s handling of the pandemic, painting a full picture that is often missed when following news on a day-to-day basis. By sending a group of doctors, journalists, medical experts and government officials covid-cams (video equipment already set up to film so a filming crew does not need to be present) Gibney interviews more than a dozen people involved in or affected by the government’s response, pinpointing every wrong move made by the Trump administration and the tragic impact it has had on Americans. The proximity the characters had to the coronavirus response - from being in the intensive care units treating covid patients to being in the room with Trump officials deciding on how to respond to the virus - also results in a compelling look at the impact the virus and the administration’s failure to properly deal with the pandemic has had on those who have desperately tried to bring its catastrophic impact to an end.
This is perhaps not a documentary for those who love vérité films, but those who enjoy the genre for its ability to be informative and engaging will be satisfied. In true Gibney fashion, even the talking heads are visually pleasant but the film does not often have cinematically captivating scenes that will be forever stamped in the mind of the viewer. Because of its investigative nature, Totally Under Control can at times be dry, but Gibney seeks to sum up the events of the last few months, making the film worthwhile in the end.
The critical timing of this documentary also makes it a must-see. Released days before a heavily politicized election that will determine who will bring an end to the pandemic in the United States, Totally Under Control is a strong condemnation of the current administration’s handling of the virus at a time when the American people have the ability to change it.
No clear conclusion is given simply because the pandemic’s devastating effect is still unfolding - even after the cameras stop rolling and the edit room floor is cleaned. This documentary isn’t just something we watch, it’s something many of us are still experiencing. For us to know how this story, our story, ends, we will just have to continue to live it.
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