Author: Alton Williams

By Robert Mann.

Neill Blomkamp. Chances are that you have never heard of him. And no one would blame you. After all, thus far the career of this South African has been far from illustrious, his only notable credits being as 3D animator on TV shows such asStargate SG-1 and Smallville (his only directorial credits are a few shorts he made…more on this later). However, he in nonetheless set to be the next big thing in Hollywood. And in a big way. Why, you ask? Well, he is the protégé of none other than (one of the most successful movie directors of all time) Peter Jackson, who has shown so much faith in him that when he signed on to produce the movie adaptation of hit videogame Halo Jackson insisted that Blomkamp be given the director’s chair, much to the chagrin of studio bosses who were only interested if Jackson himself directed. The production subsequently collapsed but this didn’t stop Jackson from trying to propel Blomkamp into the limelight, and this is where District 9 comes in. After showing off his visual effects prowess in a series of short films, including Alive in Joburg, Blomkamp was given the opportunity to really put his abilities to use. Essentially a feature length remake of Alive in Joburg (and incorporating some action sequences that Blomkamp originally conceived for Halo), District 9 has come into being thanks in part to Jackson himself funding some of the somewhat modest $30 million budget (the film looks like it cost a LOT more). And just as with last year’s guerrilla style monster movie Cloverfield, this documentary style alien flick is already proving highly popular with both film critics and movie-going audiences, ensuring that Blomkamp really will be a director to look out for in the future.

In 1990, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed “The Prawns”, appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized slum-like ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copey) in charge. While carrying out this operation Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical which begins transforming him into one of “The Prawns” and soon he finds himself turned on by all family and friends and by MNU who want to use him to learn about how weapons confiscated from the aliens work. Managing to escape into District 9 he finds that he must now rely on those who he previously worked against and gains a whole new perspective on their plight and must make a decision about whether or not to help their plan to return to their home world, in the process discovering who the bad guys really are.

District 9 is not entirely what you might expect after seeing all the marketing for it. Sold largely as being a documentary style science fiction movie (in the same way thatCloverfield was a monster movie shot on a handheld camera), the actual film is not shot entirely this way. Of course, much of the film is still presented as though it is a documentary and in this regard it seems extremely realistic – with interviews, news footage and CCTV footage, etc. – but there is a mix of styles here with a considerable amount being presented more as a straight up sci-fi action horror. These scenes allow us to see a wider perspective of what is happening, in fact facilitating a lot of what we see, but at the same time it does somewhat destroy the illusion that we are watching a documentary. This isn’t too fatal a flaw on the whole though as it doesn’t change the fact that most of what we see is excellent. Peter Jackson’s faith in director Neill Blomkamp really pays off as he shows exactly what he is capable of, and perfectly demonstrates just why he should have been given the job of directing Halo. The visual effects are fantastic, especially the very low budget that Blomkamp had to work it and he puts it to great use in a series of thrilling and gritty action sequences late in the film, and there are also some very good practical effects, notably in the body horror sequences involving Wikus’ transformation.

These sequences are few but are quite gruesome so this film may not be for the very squeamish. As well as being a great sci-fi action horror, however, the film also serves as a not-so-subtle social commentary on the former oppressive system of Apartheid that once dominated South Africa (incidentally it makes a great change to see a film where aliens arrive in somewhere other than America or England) and in this regard the film clearly has more than a few things to say, making it thought provoking as much as it is entertaining. There is a strong storyline that carries this vein of commentary throughout in an uncompromising manner (this isn’t the only aspect of the film that makes no compromises) and the storyline is brought to life convincingly thanks to terrific performances from the entire cast. There isn’t a single big name to be found amongst the entire South African cast and this is a very good thing. The film showcases some great new acting talent, and particularly noteworthy is Sharlto Copey who, as Wikus, is incredibly convincing in a role, perfectly capturing the essence of a character who is walking the fine line between right and wrong, not really a bad guy but also not a particularly good one, just a man who cannot be clearly defined under such headings. This links into a central theme of the film, which is: who are really the bad guys – the aliens or us? This is something that will really get you thinking and think you will after the credits roll, as well as feeling quite satisfactorily entertained. Overall, District 9 perfectly illustrates that a big budget and big names aren’t necessary to make a great movie and you will leave the cinema anxiously awaiting the release of follow-up District 10.

By Robert Mann.

Among the many great films shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival attendees were treated with a couple of quirky and refreshing romantic comedies that were distinctly unlike anything churned out by Hollywood, both of which have been picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight. The first was the delightful Aspergers Syndrome romance Adam starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. The second is (500) Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who has come a long way since sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun) and Zooey Deschanel. An extremely unique and conventional romcom in that it is based around a relationship that we know is going to fall apart, this highly original film was part of the official selection at Sundance 2009 although it did not win any awards, losing out to Adam. However, while it may not have been as successful at Sundance, the film has proven much more popular with moviegoers at large, with strong box office numbers (albeit due to a wider release) and excellent reviews from its cinema release in the states, likely attributable at least partially to its more mainstream appeal. While the film may have mainstream appeal, however, it certainly doesn’t stop it from being completely unlike any other romance you have seen recently.

Since he was child Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has been a firm believer in true love and has been awaiting the day that he meets “the one”. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) on the other hand doesn’t believe that true love exists, having lost all belief in love following the break-up of her parents’ marriage and now chooses to live her life uncommitted in any serious relationships. After it looks as if she’s left his life for good this time, Tom reflects back on the just over one year that he knew Summer. Summer had always attracted the attention of men, Tom included and for him it was love at first sight when she walked into the greeting card company where he worked, she the new administrative assistant. Soon, Tom knew that Summer was the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Although Summer did not believe in relationships or boyfriends – in her assertion, real life will always ultimately get in the way – Tom and Summer became more than just friends. Through the trials and tribulations of Tom and Summer’s so-called relationship, Tom could always count on the advice of his two best friends, McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) and Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler). However, it is Tom’s adolescent sister, Rachel (Chloe Moretz), who is his voice of reason. After all is said and done, Tom is the one who ultimately has to make the choice to listen or not.

(500) Days of Summer couldn’t be much further from the typical Hollywood romantic comedy if director Marc Webb tried to make it so. After all, as the voiceover narration dictates this is “not a love story” as such but rather something else, about the reactions that love brings out in people and the reality of what love and relationships are really like, as opposed to the fantasy portrayed by many of the romances that you see on the big screen. The film reflects the reality that relationships don’t always work out, something that Hollywood seems content to ignore and illustrates the nature of expectations vs. reality, but in case this makes you think that the film is downbeat in anyway fear not as, despite a concept that sounds quite depressing, this is actually one of the most cheerful films of the year. The presentation of the film is firmly that of a comedy, but unlike most romcoms the humour comes from the heart rather than gags and is actually relevant to the story rather than being apparently thrown into the mix in the vein attempt to make you laugh at something that really isn’t that funny. This is achieved thanks to a sharp script and witty dialogue that is smartly executed and feels extremely fresh, something that is woefully missing in many comedies nowadays.

The comedic approach is based around a serious core though and in this area the film also succeeds, with the comedy amplifying its effectiveness rather than detracting in any way. The events of the story in a non-linear fashion and while you may think that this could make the film confusing it doesn’t. Instead, it actually makes the story work even better as the film cuts between scenes of the relationship at its peak and as it is falling apart, contrasting the state of things at the two different points, highlighting how relationships develop and not always for the better. We see the lows of love and relationships as well as the highs for a change. In the wrong hands this could have been rather depressing but director Marc Webb, and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have embued the film with so much charm and such a great offbeat feel that the film manages to be heartwarming, even its downbeat moments, without us ever losing track of the fact that the relationship is falling apart, to the dismay of Tom. There are a lot of smart touches that make this film so successful and they are just in the writing but also the visuals. The cinematography and editing are uniformly excellent, the editing being particularly important given the nature of the narrative flow, and a combination of a variety of filming techniques, including everything from split-screen (something which has been used many times before but still seems fresh here) to animation in a couple of scenes, one of them being a dance number – a highlight among many highlights that completely fits in with the film rather than feeling out of place in any way.

There are also interceding segments shot in black and white and given an old fashioned film look. These are expertly done and provide some great visual moments. The soundtrack is also a major strong point, with the music chosen being just as important as anything else in the success of the overall film, with each song and piece of music perfectly emphasizing the mood that the scene is creating and amplifying the effectiveness of what is happening on screen. Of course, the acting is also crucial in achieving this, and this regard the film also delivers excellently. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is convincing, sincere and charming as Tom, perfectly capturing the essence of a man who firmly believes in true love but has his beliefs shattered when he falls in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate. The always excellent Zooey Deschanel is also on top form as well, her quirky acting style being perfect for the role of Summer, with her being truly enchanting in the role despite the fact that her character breaks the heart of Tom. The rest of the cast is also excellent, the most noteworthy performance being Chloe Moretz as Tom’s voice of reason little sister. So (500) Days of Summer has pretty much everything to recommend it. Excellent in every respect, this is a film that has a distinctly art-house feel but at the same time can and will be appreciated by and related to by a mainstream audience. Sure, it may not have the most happy of outcomes per se but it is so genuinely funny and moving and so well presented that it is hard not to love it. And when you see this film it won’t feel like you’re spending 500 days of your life on it.