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Fast Food Nation is yet another film to add to the growing category of 'multiple storyline' films, which were brought into fashion by the overrated (if you ask me) Traffic in 2000. More recently there have been several successful examples of the style, such as Syriana and Crash. The technique is normally used to get across a message, and Fast Food Nation certainly attempts to do this. The film deals with the origin of burger meat by interweaving several strands involving Mexican illegal immigrants, Animal Rights-protesting students, and a high-ranked employee of a fast food chain. The film is well made and sustains interest, but I found that it didn't provide any new information to me, or at least any information than I couldn't guess at. The message, i.e. fast food is inhumane and contains some really dodgy ingredients, is not only pretty obvious but is also rammed down your throat a little too much at times. The performances are very good across the board, and there is one particular scene that will definitely stick in my mind, but I was just left with a feeling of, "so what?" I came out of the cinema with a hankering for Burger King.
The summary
Certainly not for vegans or the squeamish, Fast Food Nation is moderately successful ensemble drama that is well-acted and well-made, but it doesn't provide the revelations that it thinks it does.
