This Revolution

I saw this film tonight at the Beyond TV festival in Swansea, S. Wales and I was very impressed. As well as being an intelligent expose of the Big Brother state that the US has become, the film is also very enjoyable at all levels, and I think it would appeal to a wider audience. The protest scenes at the beginning really set the pace for the film which never lets up until the end. Its great to see a film about the real America without the Hollywood glitz. I'd happily recommend anyone seeing this film, and I'm glad to hear that it's coming out on DVD. I'd be interested to know how much of an airing it gets in the US.

Writer/director Steve Marshall may have thought himself in trouble when the big name star of his low budget film got arrested doing a shoot during the real protests in New York. Certainly he had to rework his film to accommodate the loss of Dawson but I think he quickly got over it and was thankful for it happening – particularly for all the press the film got at the time. I know I watched this film because it stuck in my head for that reason and I imagine that many others heard about it and saw it as a result of her arrest. And, from Marshall's point of view it is a blessing because there is very little else about the film that makes it memorable or something to be talked about.

The film appears to have been conceived in good faith as an attempt to capture the spirit of the activists and deliver their message in a film. However in reality the film has a very thin plot that it spends a lot of time on and leaves most of the commentary down to asides that are sound-bites no different from those you have heard before. If you agree with what they are saying then I guess maybe you can ignore the quality of the film and embrace this content but that will only appeal to a limited audience and even then. Many have criticised the quality of the filming but I can forgive this to a point given the low budget and style of making. Some of the set shots are really clunky and obvious though and little about Marshall as director is of interest. The real problem is in the material though which doesn't have the complexity and realism to draw the viewer into the characters or the discussion. This is a real shame considering how many viewers (including myself) will agree with the broad sentiments of the activists (if not their methods) but yet it just clunks around on the screen in an annoying way.

The blame must more or less be totally put at the feet of Marshall because he is responsible for the majority of the film. His low budget matches his low ambitions in regards his cinematography and plotting and the end result is a rather lacklustre film that looks cheap and feels thrown together. The cast are mixed but generally don't have the material to help. Even if Dawson got the cover and the headlines, Crooker takes the main character – you will probably not have heard of him as an actor because he is frankly not very good. He doesn't feel real and has no screen presence – not helped by the nature of filming either. Dawson tries to have chemistry with him but it doesn't really work. She is good once (on the fire escape) but she has no character, no material and has been put in a hairstyle meant to make us think "street" but only made me think "wow, someone has worked out a way to make the stunning Rosario Dawson look ugly". Outside of these two the supporting cast are mixed – the activists generally convince but other set performances are generally weak. It was a nice idea to have the political rapper Immortal Technique involved but again this doesn't work within the context of the film.

This Revolution is a nice idea and got fame from Dawson's arrest but yet it doesn't make the most of this potential. The ugly visuals I can sort of understand but the plot is messy, the characters poorly drawn and the message is clunked down in an obvious manner that is a lot less effective than it would have been if it had been delivered with intelligence, insight and debate. Of course it has been made for a target audience who loved it before they saw it, but for the casual viewer this is a pretty average film.

This Revolution is a remarkably smart, relevant and timely take on media and personal responsibility in an era of the Patriot Act and fear of terrorism. Shot in a somewhat gritty style, the cinematography and editing offers a front line perspective in a beautiful and effective way. Footage from the actual Republican National Convention is disturbing and effective. It is able to humanize certain aspects of the media. Nate Crooker, as the character Jake Cassevetes, has the ability to take the audience through the ethical challenges that those in the media must face when reporting on highly charged and controversial topics. There is a fantastic dynamic among the cast and the emotions ring true.

This movie offers true insight into the plight of the "real" average American. It depicts a hard core reality, and helps to clarify what system is keeping us down and who "The Man" really is! Working in the South Bronx of New York, I can testify that the reality of the situation (as accurately portrayed by "This Revolution") is harsh, and often times something middle America doesn't realize, or is blinded to seeing, either because they reject it, agree with it, just plain don't know.... I gave it a nine because the acting isn't that great at times, but the message more than makes up for it... for those who know, it's powerful, for those who don't know, it might just fly right over their heads....

I know we shouldn't expect much from a low-budget indie film. But the idea behind it is sound: an attempt to open America's eyes to the cozy relationship between the government, and the journalists that are supposed to be keeping an eye out against it. But somehow the documentary aspect of it, takes away from its drama. The protests during the 2004 Republican convention in New York were not that compelling to make a documentary about it. Those kinds of compelling protests belong to the era of the 1960's.

It would have been better to stick to a drama format. Perhaps a slow build-up where the young journalist's eyes are gradually opened up to the conspiracy.