Pretty Good

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Deeply intelligent world-changers such as Krauss and Dawkins deserve a better documentary than this. If I were to rate their thoughts and views on the world and on science vs religion, I'd easily give this film a 10. But since I am rating the documentary and NOT their views I can only give The Unbelievers a weak 5 out of 10. The documentary doesn't share any new knowledge, any interesting new facts or any conversations beyond the most simple interviews, etc.Anyone on the hunt for deeper knowledge will be disappointed. I really have no idea what the film makers tried to tell the viewer? PS. All the celebrities featuring in the cast list are just a smoke screen. They don't share anything of value and are only on screen for 1-2 minutes combined. DS.

Being an atheist in the public is really an interesting subject. Especially in the US it's a sensitive area, so I was told that this movie would be about this.Well, it's not really, but the bigger problem is, that instead we get a 70 minute self-hooray, which was even for me as an atheist just too annoying after a while.I would've loved to see in the movie deep thoughts, which I could show to a religious person and make him think. Instead we get a lot of pointless montages with bad cuts, where someone says something and the crowd goes nuts.What exactly was this movie made for? Atheists watching this won't get really more connected to the subject, religious persons won't even have the interest to keep watching after latest 10 minutes.The movie had the potential to make something good, it had 2 good personas, but it was ruined by a really bad concept/directing.Just considering the main movie (without the off-speaking of guest-stars) doesn't even reach 70 minutes, just shows how low on ideas they were.

Renowned scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss cross the globe as they speak publicly about the importance of science and reason in the modern world.The film starts off with some unusual interviews, such as Woody Allen and Cameron Diaz. Ricky Gervais is a bit more well-known for his views. Then we go to Lawrence Krauss on tour, and it is odd to see empty lecture halls (maybe this is normal and it would just be odd for places like Madison).What this film shows is that atheism needs a new face, as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens are such divisive figures. Lawrence Krauss is an improvement, as he is not nearly as polarizing. This is evident when they share a stage and Krauss is more compromising. The approach, if it is to be successful, ought to be pro-evolution, pro-science and not anti-religion. Religion is not the enemy.Dawkins makes an interesting parallel between the idea of a middle-aged person turning old and a species becoming another: when does one end and another begin? This is, of course, the big question. If a pre-human did not give birth to a modern man, what was the process? To top off the film, the "Rally for Reason" is an incredible sight and must have been one heck of an event, with all the usual faces (like Penn Gillette) plus some special guests like Eddie Izzard, Adam Savage and James Randi. Where else can college professors be treated like rock stars?

The Unbelievers (2013) 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2636522/ This presentation of Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss on tour is packaged as a tour highlights reel. They go into a venue, we are given a few lines of speech, discussion or debate and then it's off to another venue and a few more lines. We see a lot of the people who attend these lectures/events. I believe the purpose of the movie is, this time, not conversion to reason but to show that it is becoming more and more accepted and acceptable to 'come out' as an atheist. There is a cynical, to my mind, application of marketing acumen in that the film is bookended with clips of comments from 'celebrities', thus giving us reassurance that this all must be important and true! Well, first ya gotta get the rubes in the tent! My cynical beast will go lie down in the corner and let the grownups make the world safer for honesty.The most liberating thought I have ever had: I am a temporary biological event existing in an indifferent universe.