You can divide this film into two parts. On one hand there are the riot recreations and the visual style employed to put them up on screen. Conversely, you have the multiple narratives and storyline elements.
The former is exceptionally well done, with frantic handheld camerawork spliced together with existing news footage to create a sense of hyper-realism that really gets the heart pounding. It’s the closest you’ll get to a front-row seat view of best-intentioned events swirling irreversibly out of control. It is a perfectly chaotic, anarchic aesthetic and the perfect presentation for events of a similar nature. Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack provides a score that underpins the action with a sense of urgency.
Unfortunately, the story itself is a little weak and can’t match the quality of the cinematography and editing. Too often it strays into over the top territory or veers dangerously close to cliche. There is a stellar cast carrying this, though, and all the names you’ve heard of deliver rock solid performances. The ones you haven’t heard of, well, they show there’s a reason why that’s the case.
The positives outweigh the negatives, with the film showing a passionate commitment and sincerity for its political viewpoint that’s enough to get you swept up in the stylised anti-corporate message.
