Review of Battle in Seattle

All star fictionalized account of the riots in Seattle that accompanied the WTO meetings in title city in 1999. Well made (The first non-news image of the film is one of the most arresting I've seen) and well acted. I liked the documentary like approach to the film which really makes you feel that you are there. Its a style that helps to over come the sense that I don't know why I'm suppose to feel what director/writer Stuart Townsend wants me to feel. Yes I understand the WTO is probably a bad thing, and that things did get out of hand but at the same time with out making more of the issues at stake clear(er) the film kind never resonates past the ending. I was a good way into the film before I had any sort of idea as to who stood for what or why they were doing these things, or why I should even care(It also doesn't help that some of the human moments, the romance between protesters for example, kind of feels tacked on to give people a handle on the characters). What bothers me is its hard to say anything about the film with out saying this should have, could have been great. As it is its a solidly good little film that really could have been better.