Genre: Drama
Director: Stuart Townsend
Cast: Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez, Channing Tatum, Andre Benjamin
RunTime: 1 hr 38 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: NC-16 (Some coarse language and violence)
Official Website: www.battleinseattlemovie.com

Opening Day: 2 April 2009

Synopsis:

The whole world is watching...Based on one of the most incendiary political uprisings in a generation, Battle in Seattle looks at the five days that rocked the world in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in protest on the World Trade Organization. Activists arrive in Seattle, Washington en masse to protest. Riots and chaos ensue as demonstrators successfully stop the WTO meetings.What began as a peaceful protest intended to stop the WTO talks quickly escalated into a full-scale riot and eventual State of Emergency that squared off peaceful and unarmed protesters against the Seattle Police Department and the National Guard.

Movie Review:

Battle in Seattle serves up a strangely less self-righteous, more polished, activist film product. Centring on protests that successfully derailed the World Trade Organisation meetings in Seattle way back in 1999. In short, Battle in Seattle is the film version of the fair weather protester. They are relatively peaceful, do not shut businesses and generally cause little trouble. However, they also serve little purpose except to cause an occasional ruckus by joining in protest mobs and waking you up from an afternoon nap. Battle in Seattle serves up polished production value without the myopic, independent film argumentation but at the end of it all you just feel like genuine activists will lampoon it while the bystanders will under appreciate it.

Battle in Seattle isn't a bad film. The film gives plenty of screentime to the main characters. Amongst those Django, a heavily stereotyped, ska/reggae humming, wisdom-spouting Afro-American, distracts quite a bit while, Jay, the defacto protest leader portrated by Martin Henderson, presents an ambiguous antihero whose character is best described as a poor, confused soul. The story also features an irrelevant love relationship between two of the main characters that further distracts from the key themes of the film. However, when you throw in the likes of Charlize Theron, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez and Channing Tatum, directed by Stuart Townsend, what you get is a slick, polished and impressively orchestrated film.

Stuart Townsend does an excellent job of presenting every important viewpoint in an extremely politically correct film. You'll see the the likes of Henderson, Benjamin and Rodiguez stare down at what originally was intended to be a "peaceful protest" hijacked by anarchic protest "hitchhikers" who wreak havoc and unleash the ugly side of mindless activism. You'll see clueless, American bureaucrats and police chiefs struggling to comprehend the situation while righteous African leaders take a stand against WTO cronyism and a Medicine without Borders doctor ply impassioned pleas in a heavy French accent. Then there is the police: ordinary civil servants embroiled in the difficult situation and struggling to serve with dignity, while undermined by the irresponsible few who brandish brutality and violence. Townsend does nothing short of an excellent job in this respect, serving up a balanced, all-encompassing narrative that is a huge breath of fresh air from the countless, statistic bending, corporate-demonising independent activist films.

Sadly, therein lies the flip side. Battle in Seattle is a film based on a real-life event, using footage taken at the actual protests, but ultimately riding on a fictional narrative with sometimes contrived, heavily caricatured characters. The plotline meshing the different perspectives is subsequently crippled by a lack of raw, gritty credibility. Charlize Theron shone whenever she appeared and her sheer pedigree unfortunately made every other character pale in comparison, through no fault of theirs. The tragic occurence that befall Theron's character also wielded too much of a persuasive influence for a dramatic device - a victim of dramatic police brutality. Hopefully - for the sake of responsibility - this was a true,non-fictional account. Her husband happened to be a police officer as well - a contrived attempt to push the doubled-edged aggressor/victim persona that befalls almost every single character in the film.

Battle in Seattle possesses excellent messages that tempers blind activism and violence. A quality moment takes place when, Theron's screen husband, after inflicting a harsh beating on a taunting Henderson, apologises and muses a lot about how in fighting errant politicians and the rich, the common men are the ones tragically fighting each other in a proxy battle. The moment, however, was hamstrung when Henderson, in all his Jim Caviezel, shaggy haired, battered face impersonation, said, "I forgive you". It is representative of Townsend's offering  - some will love it, some will hate it. Ultimately, Battle in Seattle is so ambitious because every single perspective it covers is enough material for most to make an entire film on its own - yet Townsend covers it all in a couple of hours.

Battle in Seattle is a well produced, family-friendly movie that can be potentially excellent for parents aiming to educate the kids - Townsend should be applauded for that. It is also a sign of how, when the production muscle of Hollywood takes on social themes and topics, we can see a potentially balanced and measured film offering that eases the uninitiated into issues such as fair trade and the fight against poverty. Blood-curdling rampages of activism isn't going to change the apathetic - films like Battle in Seattle just might. If films like this cultivate a new generation of measured, rational and forward-thinking global citizens, Hollywood might just earn newfound respect. So rare, in a community tarred by the irresponsible touting of myopic social ideals from the likes of their very own Best Actor.

Movie Rating:



Review by Daniel Lim