Fast Food Nation

I agree with this movie's principles, but I think there are some big mistakes here. Throughout the running time, I kept feeling that a fictionalized treatment of the muckracking bestseller was the wrong approach; a documentary would have worked a lot better (though telling that much truth probably would have led to substantial lawsuits). Plus, the storyline here takes the problems with the fast food industry and externalizes them too much; most people watching this film aren't interested in what happens to poor Mexicans--their question is, "How does this affect me?" Again, I applaud the politics, but I think the heart of this matter, as shown here, will be too distant for most viewers.

The Limey

Terence Stamp gives a granite-like performance--in this case, that's a good thing--as a hardass British ex-con who's visiting Los Angeles on some very grim business. Director Steven Soderbergh is up to his usual tricks--the syncopated, desynchronized camera work, etc.--but they're not too distracting or detracting. The ending's a bit unsatisfying, but otherwise, this is a good ride.

Traffic

Tough to watch, thanks to the fact that this film is about total wretchedness and the cancerous evil that inhabits the soul of a nation (and that nation is not Mexico, kiddos). The extensive cast gives good performances, but Soderbergh's directorial gimmickry--tinted lighting, grainy textures, self-conscious editing--considerably detracts from the overall movie.