Fast Food Nation | Review

Film shows that the cost of animal and human suffering is costlier than 49 cents.

Remember those doc films on how a twinkie came to life? – yes, those creamed filled cakes climbing up the conveyor belt undergoing a full transformation from empty calories to packaged addiction. Now replace that joyous image with that of a burger. The director known for his portraits of slackerdom embarks on his most significant career project to date – unfortunately this dramatic satire doesn’t have the desired effect namely because the multitude of arguments drains the drama out of the better plotlines and the wealth of characters and attached dialogue overly encrypt the various points that were laid out in Eric Schlosser’s novel. Fast Food Nation the movie makes case arguments against the industry’s moral, ethical and social costs, but Richard Linklater’s translation might appeal more to those whose hourly income matches the price of a value meal.

Book-ended by a family enjoying an outing at a neon-lit restaurant and a pair of children at the end of their illegal migration north in need of a bite, the screenplay looks at the both the cash cow paradigm and negative domino effects of the fast food industry. Following everything from name tag enterprises, border politics, self reflection, advertising, abusive working conditions, teen angst and towns surrounded by boulevards of neon lights and 99 cent promises, Schlosser provides a screenplay that looks at every single component in the long chain of command. The plotlines that work best are those of broken dreams from illegal immigrants, while the subplots featuring white young suburbanites or men in business suits are constructed with a simplified 101 reflection or a public service campaign appeal. Everything having to do with Avril Lavigne, Ethan Hawke or Greg Kinnear’s character is fairly trivial.

Like in his other films, Linklater frames his cast with handheld shots and usually his messages are young adult orientated but unlike the design of most of his films – here the few comedy references such as the robotic customer service at a hotel demonstrate that it is hard to laugh when everything seems to come out of “science fiction”. For most the back and forthness of what we eat and where it comes from will is not political enough or that condemning. There is something to appreciate in the narrative strategy that shifts between several interconnected stories, but the best storytelling is told not with the dialogue but the images. From a moving helicopter shot showing beef farms (all waiting to be placed between two buns) that spans as far as the eye can see or the docu-like shots of the kill floor and slaughterhouse have a stinging affect.

There is nothing more dangerous than the status quo and though the Linklaters and Morgan Spurlocks (Super Size Me) make some headroom in the debate, this newest commentary will be hard pressed to make a dent in the media circles or belt sizes of ordinary Americans since it simply isn’t political enough. At least on some level Linklater initiates the discussion, attacks the mentality, tackles the issues and strongly grips the idea of exploitation. Fox Searchlight should have comparable numbers to their pro smoking comedy Thank You for Smoking.

Rating 2 stars