Let's be realistic.

Great Film overall

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

If you are looking for a documentary about a waste of air (former drug dealer, aspiring rap artist - enough said) that you can barely understand due to slurry ghetto speak, then this documentary is for you. This woman had a rough life, blah de blah de blah. She has done nothing to improve on it, which is what this documentary proves. Yet she is all "trust in God," while following none of the basic rules of how to be a good person. It's sickening, and incredibly sad. The pivotal moment, at least for me, is her and her crew returning to their home after Katrina, camera rolling and good teeth flashing, to find their dog has survived the flood. They abandoned their dog, people. And want you to believe there's a respect for life here as she one millionth of a percent worries about her neighbors and where their bodies might be. They then bitch about the National Guard not being there as soldiers walk through their backyard, and point out that only the ASPCA has been there. Maybe because of people like you, sweetheart. Perhaps I think too rationally, but the two things people grab when fleeing from disaster are their pets and their family photographs. She leaves both behind, more focused on that camera rolling on her and her own sweet bum. She barely acknowledges the dog, who is sadly so happy to see his betrayers, and kisses the photographs she left behind that managed to survive, but weren't good enough to take with her. There is no redemption here. There is no love, there is only a want for money and personal gain. Just a bad person who demands that FEMA takes care of her while she can't look out for her own. Skip this waste of film unless you are in the mood to get really, really mad at how disgusting human beings can be, especially in the wake of a tragedy.

This is a must see movie by all God's children around the world. It a secret the US Government would like to hide. This movie gives an honest and compiling account on how all of us can prepare and respond to natural disasters. The US Government did and continues to fail the citizens of New Orleans. However, this movie also focuses upon the inner faith and strength the citizens of New Orleans have. I pray this documentary gets maximum exposure. People from around the world need to see a true and accurate account of what occurred before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. It is my hope that people and government's from around the world take note of how to prepare for natural disasters.

How much are you willing to pay to see some amazing footage shot in the Ninth Ward during the storm? That's what it really comes down to, because there's no other reason to see this "documentary" ... and I use that word loosely. If you've been paying attention during the last few years (I have), you will learn NOTHING NEW about the storm, the aftermath, or how it affected the poor residents of the city. You will learn a lot about Kim Rivers, who seems to have a rather high opinion of herself. Here's a question for Ms. Rivers: Your uncle died in the storm. Before the storm, he was lying on YOUR porch, drunk or stoned or both. You knew the storm was coming; you knew he couldn't take care of himself; and you let him wander away, barely able to walk. So who's fault is it that he's dead? I'll give you a clue: it ain't the police, or the Bush administration, or the Army Corps of Engineers, or the city of New Orleans. Sit with that for a while, and get back to us if you think of something.

This is very dramatic and satisfying film on a character level in a way that When The Levees Broke, as good as it was, was not. I always prefer documentaries that are character driven. "Water" gives you a window into a world that usually is hermetically sealed from the rest of society, and humanizes the "ghetto" in a way I've never seen before. You really get to know the couple and you sympathize with them, even though they are far from what most people would call upstanding members of society. The world they come from is usually overlooked or glamorized in gangster films, but because Kim (the wife) did the filming of her community during the hurricane, it is authentic. It really is a testament to how technology (in this case, the amateur video camera) has democratized society and what is possible when the voiceless find their voice. It's the antidote to "Hustle and Flow" in EVERY way. When Kim raps, it comes at a devastating moment in the film and she has your full attention, and you identify with every word, and you totally understand why she is the way she is, and why rap can be such powerful poetry. It's not just some soundtrack. Musically, the film is great on many levels -- the score, and the other songs chosen.