"Minamata" showcases its desire to be an important movie in almost every frame. It tries to be a character study, a commentary on the power of photojournalism, and a study in how the large profit margins of major corporations can attract those without moral compasses. Sadly, it too often misses the first of those three narratives by underlining and emphasizing the second pair, and character is really the most important thing about films like this. A "message movie" only works because of the characters who convey it. We admire films like "Spotlight" and "Dark Waters" not solely because of the true stories they unveil but because of how those messages are embedded in character dramas. Leading man Johnny Depp is up to the challenge, and he gives a finely tuned performance here that kind of feels like his first "old man" turn, and he's matched by a charming piece of work from Minami, but "Minamata" is weighed down by self-important direction that loses the human beings in this story by prioritizing the headlines. The problems come when Levitas tries to translate that passion into interesting drama. He hired great people in terms of craft, working with the great Benoît Delhomme ("At Eternity's Gate") to give the entire production a charged visual acumen. And the legendary Ryuichi Sakamato provides a lovely score. But these master craftsmen almost enable Levitas' fatal flaw, one that really lands with a final photo montage of disasters like Minamata from around the world, making it clear how much the producers here feel like they've made a definitive film instead of just a heartfelt one. A film like "Minamata" doesn't need to tell every story like it, look perfect, or have a mesmerizing score. It needs to be a little edgy and gritty and human to feel true. Otherwise, it feels like something we look at through a lens, something we observe and admire but can never get our hands on to truly feel.
Review of Minamata
