Overall Score
Rating Summary
Whether or not we choose to acknowledge it, climate change is a real issue plaguing our planet as a whole. Everybody knows about the little things we can do to help but these actions are minimal in the grand scheme of things. Fossil fuel cars and their emissions still play a major part in contributing to the problem. As a result, the use of electric cars has seen a major uptake though there is still plenty of work left to do in terms of their acceptance in society. The majority of people continue to drive fossil fuel cars as there are still misconceptions out there involving electric cars though ultimately, the biggest hurdle is their price compared to fossil fuel cars. Meanwhile, auto racing is one of the most popular sports on the planet, obviously leading to a fair share of pollution.
Formula 1 may be the pinnacle of auto racing but how do we move it and auto racing as a whole into the future while saving the environment? Cue Formula E, a new racing series using battery-powered electric cars. The double-meaninged And We Go Green is the latest documentary that intimately covers the sport of Formula E and its many personalities over the course of its 2018 season as well as its current and future impact on the environment and on the sport of auto racing as a whole. While some audiences may want more of the latter, the film does finds a decent balance in highlighting the human side of the series and providing some exciting racing action. Founded by ambitious Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, the series was way for the avid race fan to make money while helping to save the environment. His drive and ambition was definitely infectious to watch. Despite many obstacles, the series continues to run today.
With electric cars came obvious limitations but auto racing has always had a history of being a breeding ground of technological innovations that have eventually found a way into today’s auto industry and this series was no different. Though Formula E cars were clearly not as fast as their Formula 1 counterparts and the current battery technology did not allow them to operate nearly as long, this was yet another challenge for the minds behind the scenes to overcome, working on more reliable battery technology (though the series’ green footprint went beyond there). As We Go Green also covers the driver side of the equation. Focusing on several drivers such as Bird, Vergne, Piquet Jr., we learned that the series was merely another stop on their up and down racing journeys. The drivers ultimately took a chance on an unproven series because it was arguably their last shot though what kept them going was their competitive spirit and the belief in what the series represented.
As We Go Green portrays the series and its drivers and teams in an intimate way, providing a behind the scenes look of how drivers and their teams operate, compete, and get better over the course of a regular Formula E season. While the film could have touched the environmental side of things a little more, the film as a whole was still compelling to watch. In the end, the driver story and the environmental message felt too much at odds with one another, enough so to feel like two different films. Perhaps the film would have been better served as a docuseries. Nevertheless the collection of footage here was impressive. The racing was certainly exciting to watch and will surely play well on a big screen and a half-decent sound system.
At the end of the day, As We Go Green is a well-intentioned and often thrilling documentary that racing fans and environmentalists should enjoy albeit one that can’t quite get its message across in an engaging enough way.
*still courtesy of TIFF*
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
