For a film that opens as dramatically as possible—an ALL CAPS question flashes on the screen, asking if you can trust the source of your food, followed by a man with a shadowed face who sort of confesses to murder—The Mercury Factor turns out to be a pleasantly slow-moving international caper. Matteo, an Italian protagonist with a philosophical streak and a killer business instinct, is entangled in a web of intrigue surrounding the food chain that involves dead prostitutes and a pretty Chinese chef with a heart of gold. With the jittery aesthetics of a Bourne movie but half the speed and twice the ethical implications, The Mercury Factor delivers a subtle punch.