Percy Vs Goliath

Clark Johnson's 'Percy' offers a significantly simplified from the real story of the struggle of an independent Canadian farmer with corporate bullies and the legal system. Its telling is pretty straight-forward, but it's well-produced and well-told - and that's in large part to the high-quality performances of its cast.

In 1998, Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken) is a cantankerous canola farmer in rural Saskatchewan. He receives a letter from Monsanto demanding $19k for using their crop genes. It's the groundbreaking legal battle between a single farmer and a global conglomerate. Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) is his small town lawyer. Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci) is an environmental advocate eager to join the case.

This is very much the standard underdog story. The movie should center around Percy and Jackson. Rebecca does muscle into the second lead position and that is problematic. I can understand the movie writing an environmentalist in that way. It may even be very true to the reality. It would be better to make her less prominent. There is also the problem of Monsanto as the villain. It has no face and the movie generates no actual character doing the villainy. In the end, this important little-known story has a simple compelling lead hero and that's good.

We continue to see this same theme over and over, corporations, with their legal army, political influence and unlimited resources , continuing to obliterate the working man. Our countries have become oligarchies, our politicians catering to lobbyists and big business. Not only was this an entertaining and well-acted movie, it helps to shed light on the bigger picture. If individuals don't fight back, at some point the option will no longer be available.

Christopher walken has never been my favourite actor, he managed to mash that potato in ''the deer hunter'', but here he is acting out pretty freely, stubborn as usual, but also very content and extreme colourful acting. Its a based on a true story film, so the plot layout is already there, but the dynamics and caracterbuild up is good, cast works all over, and the filming is held in a colourful ambien glow all the way, beutiful scenic views, and gives a great insight how farming in the midwest is and has been, a fight from daybreak till dawn.

Having just devoured this stub of realistic stubborness, the grumpy old man gives an allmighty acclaim for the production crew and the actors with a strong 7.well told story and therefore a recommend.

It's based on a true story. Very good & believable acting overall from the entire cast, I thoroughly enjoyed this particular topic as i wasn't aware of this iconic trial which became an International precedent for other Farmers worldwide, and not be part of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) trying to own farmlands via their majority shares on MONSANTO Genetically Modified Organisms => Let me refresh you the horrible haunting Eugenics/Transhumanist damages of the past: Remember the Terminator Seeds Scandal?

Where Multiple Companies & their shareholders tried to create a MONOPOLY of the World's Agriculture, country per country, while minimizing the damages on Human Health & escaping from this form of Bio-Terrorism; which eventually blew up with hundreds of lawsuits worldwide in 2014? Well there ya go.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of the main thematic, from an isolated & local idyllic farming town issue, to an International problematic, from which the Suffering & Death are implicit themes, that are shared in specific scenes between the main cast & other characters (especially was fascinated by the dialogue on Far East Philosophies & Religious beliefs).

This movie is a Testament between those who Love & cherish the intrinsic value of LIFE and those who worship a Culture of DEATH.

Ps: I hope somebody makes a movie about José Bové, the french farmer who used a Flamethrower on Monsanto GMO Fields & even burnt a McDonalds that promoted GMO Food... was sent to jail. He is now a E. U. Green Party Parliamentary.