HOW MANY REGRETS were the result of placing incorrect bets? If one is gambling at a casino, the person knows there is a chance they will lose their money. Based on the route a person chooses to travel to work that day may be the wrong route because they were delayed due to construction work. So let me say there are bets we all make where we know exactly how much we can lose on them. What about placing a bet where one does not know what they could sacrifice if they made the wrong bet? I watched a TV show about a family that decided to travel out of state in the middle of winter to celebrate a relative’s birthday. The areas they would be driving through typically get a lot of snow during winter. They wound up traveling during a snowstorm and became stuck in a desolate area for several days, with little food and water and freezing temperatures. They almost died in their car after it ran out of gasoline.     WHEN I WAS younger I used to take more chances. As I have gotten older I have become more cautious. I prefer knowing, like most of us I am sure, what the risks are before taking a chance. Now I am not here to start a debate on whether you believe or not climate change is taking place. What I will say is I do not recall experiencing the type of weather we have now compared to when I was younger. Recently the area I live in was subjected to a series of heavy rainstorms. A relative posted a picture of the cul-de-sac they live on and I was shocked. Picture 4 houses placed in a semi-circle perched above the cul-de-sac with driveways that sloped down into it. The cul-de-sac was filled with water all the way up each driveway to the bottom of their mailboxes. No one could get out unless they had a boat or raft; it was a surreal scene, especially since they never experienced anything like it before. Something is not right as this sequel to the Oscar winning documentary will show you.     THIS FILM FESTIVAL winner is an update to the 2006 winner, An Inconvenient Truth. Directed by Bonni Cohen (The Rape of Europa, Audrie & Daisy) and Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan, The Island President), this documentary follows former Vice President Al Gore as he travels the world discussing the changes he has noticed from a decade ago. It appears as if the directors had easy access to Mr. Gore as they filmed him in a variety of settings, from backstage to town hall meetings to private moments. The movie was not focused entirely on doom and gloom scenarios; it included several positive actions taking place in the world today. My issue with this film was having Al Gore do the majority of speaking. He is not a dynamic speaker in my opinion; as the movie progressed his speech was turning into white noise for me. There is a one dimensional aspect to his talking that I do not find motivating. With that being said, some of the scenes on screen were fascinating to observe; while others seemed a rehash from the time before. The scene in Congress was particularly noteworthy to me because it showed how some people are not willing to listen to a different point of view. And this is what I meant earlier about taking a bet on something where the outcome would not be known until it is too late.

2 ¾ stars