Jack
06-26-2009, 12:36 AM
Food Inc. nimbly avoids the more grating pitfalls of modern documentaries, while falling right in line with some of the more unfortunate ones. Despite the impression any synopsis of this clearly activist film will leave, it does not guilt trip the audience and it is not confrontational. There are hardly any scenes of visceral horror and the villains are mostly off camera. It offers advice, not demands, of the consumer, and instead targets policy makers and corporations.
Despite being effective in its message, there's something a little toothless about Food Inc. By taking on such a large topic, the film grazes over issues that could use their own movie or two. It makes compromises that most modern documentaries make in order to find a larger audience. Facts are thrown out in slick graphics instead of speaking for themselves and commentators range from colorful to downright comical. Still, when the message is this horrifying and urgent, I'm willing to let these choices slide in hope of finding that wider audience.
Some of the sharpest attacks are reserved for an extended sequence focusing on Monsanto's crop control tactics. It goes deeper than the rest of the film and ignites more anger from the audience in return. While I think most audiences will appreciate that the entire film isn't this heated, the dire state of the agribusiness certainly warrants it.
Despite being effective in its message, there's something a little toothless about Food Inc. By taking on such a large topic, the film grazes over issues that could use their own movie or two. It makes compromises that most modern documentaries make in order to find a larger audience. Facts are thrown out in slick graphics instead of speaking for themselves and commentators range from colorful to downright comical. Still, when the message is this horrifying and urgent, I'm willing to let these choices slide in hope of finding that wider audience.
Some of the sharpest attacks are reserved for an extended sequence focusing on Monsanto's crop control tactics. It goes deeper than the rest of the film and ignites more anger from the audience in return. While I think most audiences will appreciate that the entire film isn't this heated, the dire state of the agribusiness certainly warrants it.