Movie Review - 'Fuel'

Fuel Directed by Joshua Tickell Not Rated

The debate in America over alternative sources of energy should not be a political one. We use far more oil and power than any other country in the world per capita and even Nixon called for a push away from fossil fuels and non-renewable energy back in the 1970s. This isn't about taking anybody's Hummer away. It's about moving past a 19th century technology in the 21st century. Even in the 1920s, there were experiments with alternative fuels; Howard Hughes designed a car that could travel from L.A. to San Francisco on water alone.The problem, aside from the $500,000 price tag at the time, was what would happen with all that steam if there was an accident. But it was out there. You could even go back further to the invention of Rudolf Diesel in 1897. And though diesel has received a bad rap over the past 30 years or so, with the growing interest in bio-diesel fuel (essentially, vegetable oil), diesel engines are again being investigated as a possible solution. You could politicize it: Without the demand of foreign oil, there could be significantly less brutality in the middle east, and less power in the hands of religious zealots in that part of the world. And you could bring up pollution and global warming. But that's really just window dressing. The reasons to find alternative sources of energy are because we just need new ways to power a 21st century world. The new documentary Fuel is an incredibly far-reaching study of where oil dependence has delivered us and how we crawl back to level ground. If there's a knock against the film, it's simply that it is too far-reaching. Fuel tries to make its point on so many different fronts that the strongest parts of the argument spend as much time on screen as some of the weaker or more idealized ones. Director Joshua Tickell makes a strong case for about an hour. He's got plenty of experience on the subject, having driven a van powered by biodiesel fuel across the country for years and has been a very public advocate for alternative fuels for over a decade. But this is his first crack at directing a movie. It's the narrative that ultimately stumbles him; visually, it feels like the work of a much more experienced filmmaker. Still, Fuel has a lot more going for it than the 2007 plea, The 11th Hour, underwritten by Leonardo DiCaprio. That film also had problems staying on point and preaching to the choir, but Fuel at least appears to be professionally made. This is an entertaining, energetic, and informative documentary, but it does lose its punch after an hour or so. The education is replaced by what Tickell believes will strengthen his case by showing how deep this problem is, but he wears down his audience instead by not knowing when enough is enough. Curious, since that's exactly what his point is.

Comments

[faulty logic]

any one looking for a good documentery on the subject should really check out Who Killed the Electric Car. I

[Mary Lou Long]

I thought FUEL was exceptionally professional and full of information. I saw WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR and had a Mazda Miata converted to electric. I didn't kill the electric car. I am trying to find a way to buy FUEL, the movie. If you have any information please let me know. I love my electric Miata, by the way and I am especially impressed with Josh's movie.
Mary Lou Long