Produced entirely within 100 days, funded on a shoestring budget, featuring no big name actors and only a handful of B-list celebrities, and as director Stephen Marshall's first attempt at fiction (or docu-drama if you prefer), This Revolution is still a standout. Our protagonist Jake is a well written character who I absolutely hate - he's the guy we all know that espouses radical beliefs and anti-establishment rhetoric while collecting a corporate paycheck and seeing the world on their dime. His recent trip to Iraq was only the opening stage of his awakening - through the course of the story he slowly realizes the absurdity of his situation and the full extent of the exploitation he suffers at the hands of his employers. His ultimate rejection of the corporate culture and his final act of rebellion against his former employers are like the middle finger to big business that all of us secretly wish we could hoist into the air. Most of the acting is shaky - understandable since most of the actors aren't, well, actors - but the incredible performances by Rosario Dawson and Immortal Technique justify the price of admission or the DVD. Ultimately, the docu-drama idea isn't quite as well executed as the classic Medium Cool, but the backdrop of the RNC protests are a very rich and colorful setting for the fictional events. I was happy to see all the footage of protesters that nobody else was willing to show me. Not Mr. Marshall's best work - I'd save that accord for his documentary BattleGround - but well worth watching on many levels.
Review of This Revolution
