Escape From District 9

Sharlto Copely tries to get a Prawn to sign some forms

In 2009, the release of District 9 was met with little opposition, being praised by fans and critics alike. This was particularly impressive considering it was first feature-length film of director Neill Blomkamp who had a modest budget that had to be contended with. Yet still very little is said about District 9 despite its unlikely success.

                Set in modern day Johannesburg, the film is a blatant allegory of Apartheid present in the South Africa only decades before. When an alien ship crashes in the early 1980s, the local government of Johannesburg is quickly forced to take action. But creating homes for these new found visitors proves to be troublesome and the government chooses instead to create an impromptu ghetto with no intensions of improvement. Impoverished, sick and unwanted, the aliens are shunned by the human population referring to them in the derogatory term prawns (due to their appearance.)

A piece of the prawns futuristic technologies

One of the films Apartheid signs

 However, the brunt of the story follows clueless civil servant Wikus van de Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley), who through a twist of fate becomes infected a starts to become a prawn. Searching for a cure, Wikus comes to see the prawns in a more sympathetic light all the while learning the details of how the government attempts to exploit the extraterrestrials and their futuristic technologies.

The movie sets itself up in the form of a part mockumentry style, where those close to Wikus reveal valuable information and perspective to the story.  This makes the movie seem all the more realistic well revealing information in a seemingly unartifial way. Despite the fantastical circumstances of the film because of its setup it still seems plausible.        

District 9 is a good film with heavy themes. The seldom used style of mockumentry proves useful and refreshing, separating it from countless other action flicks. From this film Neill Blomkamp proves that sci-fi can be done in a refined way.             

 

A Comedy Classic

Left (Robert Hays) Center (Julia Hagerty) Right (Auto-pilot,
dubbed Otto)

For those who don’t already know, Airplane! was a satirical film releases in 1980 that parodied disaster movies. During its time the movie has proved to be very influential and many of the jokes are ingrained in popular culture still today. Unlike most comedies, Airplane! forwent an engaging story, instead using it as a framework from which they could pop off rapid fire jokes. Most of which are misinterpretations of colloquialisms, which though it may not seem funny are met with such dedication from the cast you can’t help but chuckle. Also the use of slapstick is frequent throughout which adds to the variety. Because of the quick pacing, if one joke doesn’t get to you another gag comes quickly enough so you’re not left waiting.  

To cheer up a sick girl a stewardess
plays guitar, accidently knocking off her iv bag

As is, the story consists of the threat of a plane crash after the pilot and half the crew are incapacitated by food poisoning and now ex war pilot, Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) must overcome his war memories and land the plane. Of course what kind of film would it be without a love interest, this comes in the form of Julia Hagerty as a stewardess who had previously been with Ted but split due to his mild PTS.

Leslie Nielson plays the role of Dr. Barry Rumack

In itself the story isn’t that important what really matters is the writing which delivers. All the cast seems enthusiastic, but in particular Leslie Nielson stands out as Dr. Barry Rumack who is extremely funny.

If you haven’t already seen Airplane!  I would highly recommend it. It’s crazy. It’s random and the absurdity of the jokes are truly funny. Airplane! stands as one of if the funniest movies I have ever seen.

Diamond in The Rough

Dijmon Hounsou shares a tender moment with
his on screen son played by Kagiso Kuypers

            Fueled by human rights issues, Edward Zwick’s 2006 film Blood Diamond aims to reveal the seedy underground realm of diamond trading. Set in the pre-Kimberly process era, the movie depicts the horrific consequences of the diamond trade, including slavery, child soldiers, and the actions of the rebel army the Revolutionary United Front, not to mention the terrible conditions they are forced to live in.

            The story follows the character Solomon Vandy (played by Djimon Hounsou) who is captured by the R.U.F. where he is forced to search in riverbeds for diamonds. Risking everything, Solomon smuggles a diamond and hides it away so that he may find it later. In a twist of fate, Solomon regains his freedom and seeks out to recover his diamond and reunite with his family (including his son who was abducted by the R.U.F. as well). Along the way, his path gets intertwined with various characters including a diamond smuggler, Danny Archer, (played by Leonardio Dicaprio) and an American journalist, Maddy Bowen, (played by Jennifer Connelly) along with several others, all of whom have vested interest in the diamond.

Dicaprio plays the Zimbabwean diamond smuggler

            The cast is well rounded with particularly good efforts done by Hounsou and Dicaprio, who play an emotionally torn father and a convincing diamond smuggler respectively (though it takes some time to get use to Dicaprio as a white African.)

            Along the way you see some nice shots of Africa but the majority of the movie’s appeal comes from its story and characters. The motivations of the characters are all different and dynamic this fleshes out the characters and makes them all the more interesting. Near the end of the film the question of who’s to blame becomes more and more ambiguous making the viewer realise the moral grey areas that are ever present.

Jennifer Connelly in the role of an American journalist

            However, the central focus of the film is as a platform to demystify the brutal trade of diamond mining in Africa. If you have not yet seen Blood Diamond I would highly recommend it. Besides exposing the secrets of the trade, Blood Diamond crafts a great story. With its great characters and great actors Blood Diamond won’t disappoint.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner



Jim Sturgess in the role of MIT whiz kid Ben Cambell 

           As most people know, school can be extremely expensive and for character Ben Cambell (from film adaptation of the book Bringing Down The House, 21) this reality can be unforgiving. Coming from a modest household, Whiz kid MIT student Ben Cambell must overcome the herculean task of amassing $300,000, the admission cost of Harvard Medical School. Realising Ben’s potential, professor Micky Rosa (played by Kevin Spacey) invites Ben to join the glamorous underground world of card counting where he and a group of MIT students visit Vegas on weekends to win money.

Kevin Spacey as prof. Micky Rosa

            Though this movie was not exceedingly deep, it was an enjoyable watch none the less. The cast did a good job; in particular Kevin Spacey usual to form, was excellent in the role of Professor Rosa. All characters are believable (after all this is based on a true story) and lines seem organic. However, some of the characters seem to be overlooked when they would have benefited from more development.

Cast left to right: Jacob Pitts, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth,
Liza Lapira and Aaron Yoo

            Overall the movie looks good, with some excellent cinematography showcasing the bright lights of Vegas. Great shots of the Vegas nightlife show the best of the Strip which does good to differentiate the glamour from the humdrum atmosphere of student ghettos in Boston. Sometimes effects are used which don’t look quite so good, but these are few and far between so it is excusable.

            The story was told in a good voice with Ben narrating some of the more key aspects of his life. As a character Ben is likeable and approachable which fits the story well. The story is full of twists and turns but in the end it is predictable. A non-linear storytelling style is used near the end which is used to limited effect. Yet, despite this the story was engaging enough with character Ben inspiring admiration.

            As a movie 21 played it pretty close to the mold but all in all it did a reasonably good job. It’s nothing special but it’s entertaining enough. If you’re into the casino style movies this would be a good choice. If you’re looking for a casual film this would be a good pick.  

Enter The Matrix

                Within the last 15 years no movie has been more influential than The Matrix. Its intensive action sequences and undertones of deeper thinking have inspired dozens of movies to follow in suit. Despite, the fact that the years have not be kind to this film I would be remised if I did not give my two cents on it.  

The Matrix's revolutionary effect; bullet time

                If it is not already obvious, I think very highly of The Matrix. The movie crafts a thought provoking story with eye popping action with a particular empathises on martial arts using modern technologies and an urban backdrop to reaffirm the cyberpunk ideas expressed throughout. As well, to match the technologies shown in the film, special effects are used to consistent effect.  It must be recognised that while now the special effects look somewhere between tacky and unbearable, at the time the special effects were state of the art, after all the film was released in 1999.

Laurence Fishburne's character Morpheous
often spouts off words of wisdom

                Yet don’t be fooled, while this movie does contain explosive action sequences, buried beneath are profound allusions and implications. This film deals with some heavy hitting thoughts on topics such as, fate vs. freewill, epistemology and others. Moreover, the movie makes many allusions to religion with the most notable being Christianity. The story remains memorable with the story unfolding predictable with the most part of the problems being mechanical.  



(Left) Carrie-Anne Moss
(Right) Keanu Reeves 

While the acting is mostly wooden with Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity being the main culprits their poor performances add humor. Dialogue is often clichéd but it is in the best way possible. It is through this that the movies melodrama is held in check. If you haven’t already, go see The Matrix. While this movie has its pitfalls, it adds enough to keep the make sure that The Matrix will always remain a modern classic.

 

Movie Magic



(Left) Michael Cain, (Center) Scarlett Johansson, (Right) Hugh Jackman

                            Christopher Nolan is well known in the movie world for his unique storytelling and pleasing cinematography. Within a decade and a half of his commercial career, Nolan boasts earnings of $3.5 billion worldwide, with his latest The Dark Knight Rises earning over a billion at the box office on its own. Critically acclaimed and well received by fans, Nolan continues to astound audiences around the world. But with even tales of espionage, vigilantism and various mental illnesses, I am always brought back to his 2006 film The Prestige.

(Left)Christian Bale, (Right) Rebecca Hall

                For those who do not know, The Prestige tells the story of two passionate rival street magicians who through great tragedy become locked in a constant series one-ups-man ship eventually leading to more and more dire repercussions. The film is led by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as Alfred Borden and Robert Angier respectively. As well, the cast features some of Nolan’s usual favorites like Michael Cain, along with some unusual newcomers, namely musician David Bowie who plays the role of Nikola Tesla. All in all, the acting was great, with particularly memorable performances by Jackman, Bale and Cain who embody the passions of these men very well. Moreover, Rebecca Hall does an outstanding job in the role of Bale’s wife tormented by his deception.

The crisp clean cinematography of The Prestige

However, where this movie excels most is in its story. Be warned, this story is non-linear, so often times the plot can seem overwhelming, especially since the movie is set up so Bale is reading Jackman’s character’s journal of Jackman’s character attempting to decipher Bales own journal which speaks of events that have already happened. This however is so common amongst thrillers that it is negligible. Also this style of storytelling fits well with the plot as it adds an air of mystique.

If you have not already seen this film I would highly recommend it. It looks great, sharp and clean with excellent cinematography. The characters are well realised and fully shaped. The story is fascinating, dealing with a variety of themes and focusing on the unique struggles of each character, blending the Hollywood cliché of good and evil. Full of twists and turns, this movie will keep you guessing. This is definitely one Nolan’s best.