Film Review: 'Battle in Seattle'

"VISUALLY, AS A FILMMAKER, it's a no-brainer: It's riots," said rookie director Stuart Townsend about the subject matter of his film, "Battle in Seattle."

Townsend's an actor who played Dorian Gray in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," and his star-studded directorial debut is about 1999's stunningly successful World Trade Organization protests does deliver arresting sights and sounds of city streets flooded with dissenters, angry police in storm-troop attire, shattering glass and realistic violence.

It's riots, to be sure, but even better than the visuals is how the film offers a smart, nuanced look at the demonstrations from a variety of points of view, including that of a good cop (Woody Harrelson), a pregnant civilian caught in the crossfire (Charlize Theron), a sleazy politician with a gilded heart of tin (Ray Liotta), a representative of Doctors Without Borders attempting to save the children by working within the system and a number of protesters, including one played by Outkast's charismatic Andre Benjamin, who steals the show.

"Battle in Seattle" subtly raises important questions about the efficacy of various means of protest, the ability of the left to affect the new world order, freedom of speech and assembly and so on, but largely leaves its questions unanswered. Though it's no secret which side director/scriptwriter Townsend is on, his film displays far less ax-grinding than one might expect.

"It's an event that's been mostly forgotten," the director said. "I thought this was a really impressive moment and I thought the media didn't cover it very well. A WTO expansion push by the world's most powerful corporations got tanked."

Though the film has its share of inspiring and compelling points, there are also many corny, emotionally manipulative and unrealistic moments. But because of a decent budget and a solid cast, Townsend was able to make a decent movie and accomplish his goal: To get people talking and thinking about the Seattle protests again.

» E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; starts Sept. 19, 202-452-7672. (Metro Center)

Written by Express contributor Tim Follos

Photos courtesy of Redwood Palms Pictures