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First printed at www.movingpicturesnetwork.com

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(Opening Night – 2007 Bahamas International Film Festival)

Writer/Director: Stuart Townsend
Starring: Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez, André Benjamin and Ray Liotta

In-a-nutshell:
In his debut directorial effort, Stuart Townsend has tenaciously taken his audience on a journey from which it will not soon recover, deftly dumping his theatergoers into the days leading up to (and through) the 1999 riots that rallied around the World Trade Organization’s ongoing substitution of elected governance with commerce-based corporate control.

The Irishman Townsend and his skilful cast concoct clever characters which represent each type of person affected by the protests. And when things turn from bad to worse, the helmer honors the event by including archival footage that fetes the real actions of the riot squad police as rougher and tougher than those enacted in his film.

Battle in Seattle delivers many punches to the gut, not the least of which is one quick baton-jab to Ella’s (Charlize Theron) pregnant belly that causes her to bleed out the baby. This point hits home all the more for the fact that she is “just” a downtown store clerk trying to get home, and her husband, Dale (portrayed by Woody Harrelson), is the very type of cop who caused he catastrophe. Meanwhile, the non-violent (yet effective) activism instigated by Lou (Michelle Rodriguez), Django (André Benjamin) and Ray (Martin Henderson) suffers the fate of guilt by association with anarchic groups smashing up the downtown district. And Ray Liotta’s lamentable city mayor is caught between his politics and the proletariat, holding down his role with welcome realism. If there is any weak link, it is only the role of an initially self-serving female TV reporter that seems superficial. The multiple story pieces pull together in a total vision that begs an obvious question of the first-time director: What’s next? Despite the political setting, Townsend orchestrates the emotional beats with confidence.

The film serves as a reminder of the world we lived in, in the shadow of the new millennium. If only we could say the world is now a different place…

Images are courtesy of ThinkFilm.