By Josh Moss
josh@louisville.com
As all of you crowded into theaters last Friday to see “Quantum of Solace,” another movie, without the Bond-hype, opened at Baxter Avenue Theatres. It’s called “Battle in Seattle,” about activists who protested a World Trade Organization conference in 1999. Basically, they weren’t happy that corporations were invading other countries and infringing on human rights. Some simply wanted to save sea turtles. The actor-turned-director Stuart Townsend also wrote and produced the film, which hit some cities in 2007. It’s somewhat of a passion project based on actual occurrences, and, unfortunately, Townsend created fictional characters to tell the story.
Certainly many have forgotten (or maybe never knew) about the violent riots that overran Seattle’s streets nearly a decade ago, at the end of November and into December. Police fired rubber bullets and unleashed pepper spray into defenseless crowds. Why? Well the conference had to go on. It’s compelling stuff, and “Battle in Seattle” is an admirable attempt to shine a light on these events. Though Townsend wants to champion the power of protesting in general, underdeveloped characters unfortunately overshadow anything resembling a message. “Battle of Seattle” would have been better off as a documentary.
Early on, the battle lines are drawn. Jay (Martin Henderson, who you may recognize from “Smokin’ Aces” or “The Ring”) is ready to lead a peaceful demonstration that took six months to plan. Lou (Michelle Rodriguez, TV’s "Lost") and Django (Andre Benjamin of Outkast fame) are among the tens of thousands ready to hit the streets. Jay stresses the importance of non-violence.
Seattle’s mayor, Jim Tobin, played by Ray Liotta, promises the protestors that everything will go smoothly. Then some anarchists crash the party, throwing trashcans through downtown store windows. In no time Tobin’s got the President of the United States demanding that the mayor declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard. That’s when things take a serious turn for the worse.
Woody Harrelson (who had a small role in last year’s “No Country for Old Men”) plays a cop with a pregnant wife (Charlize Theron, “Hancock”). Their story is the most interesting even though the script doesn’t give them much to work with. Harrelson is convincing as an officer who has reached his tipping point in the massive crowds. Theron steals her scenes, one of which is too brutal to watch. In one particularly memorable part, Lou and others get pepper-sprayed in the eyes.
The rest of the characters fall flat. We get a little about Jay’s past but not enough to buy him as a charismatic leader. And why exactly are Django and Lou so dedicated to this cause? Frankly, the haphazard love story between Lou and Jay belongs in no movie. A few of the delegates who make it to the conference are underutilized, and Liotta, for his part, is in way over his head with this role, unable to pull off anything that says he has a crisis on his hands. Plus the dialogue — “Just do whatever you have to do;” “We got taken by surprise”; “How do you stop those who’ll stop at nothing?” — is uninspired.
Look, we commend Townsend for trying here, but sometimes a story is powerful enough to speak for itself, without Hollywood characters muddling everything. A detailed retelling of these protests would have been worth the price of admission alone.
2 fleurs di lis out of 4
