Elysium

Neill Blomkampt's visionary follow-up to 2009's District 9 offers a hyperbolic look at the social injustices associated with the class system. It's an interesting shift from the xenophobic Apartheid theme of D9. Set in the future, it's a look at how devastating the population overload might become and the way that the affluent might separate themselves from the impoverished.

The film begins quickly with the rundown of the setting. It would be nice if there was a bit more explanation through action, but the year is 2154, and the rich live on the space station Elysium. It's a massive artificial utopia, and everyone who lives there is happy, healthy, and wealthy. The billions living on Earth are destitute and dirty, which is where the majority of the action takes place. Enter Max. Played by Matt Damon, he's a recovering criminal on parole, trying to live a straight life working in a factory putting together drones who patrol Earth and keep order. There is an ominous tone from the start. A sense of hopelessness that can only be attributed to the class divide.

Max finds himself in a precarious position where he needs to get to Elysium quickly, and he is in a position to help out an old friend. He is given an exoskeleton suit in a gritty and cringe-worthy surgical scene, and he starts his journey. The Secretary of Defense for Elysium, played by Jodie Foster, uses the black ops at her disposal to keep the people safe from the dirty Earthlings, who try to immigrate illegally, much like Cuban refugees trying to get to Miami (not the best analogy, but whatever). Sharlto Copley, who has been a Blomkampt favorite since D9, is frightening as the psychopath, Kruger, who is tasked with tracking and killing Max. The film climaxes with the big showdown, and as a viewer, we are left in an unsettling place philosophically. It's emotionally evocative as intended, but in the end the execution is a bit weak.

When I say the execution is weak, I don't mean the visual effects, or the fantastic imagination of Blomkampt (from here out, I'll just call him Neill). I mean that the way that the story unfolded was a bit unexpected. The violence and graphic nature of Neill's storytelling is definitely his calling card, and Elysium is simply much more graphic than most moviegoers might enjoy. The intention is commendable; Neill wants to show the realism and plight of the people of Earth, and just how indiscriminate those in power can be when their economic advantage is being threatened.

Damon is a great actor, and this is a departure from his usual types of role. It's a bold choice, and one that must have been really fun for him to film. He's a really strong action star, and was a great choice as the everyman Max. He's broadening his horizons in the upcoming Terry Gilliam flick, The Zero Theorum, and will be in the Oscar caliber Monuments Men with George Clooney.

Neill is working on his next project, a Sci-Fi comedy called Chappie starring... you guessed it, Sharlto Copley. I haven't heard anything about it, but expect a strong story with a political motivation. He's a brilliant young filmmaker and will likely continue to toe the line with intriguing and controversial science fiction.

I was expecting a bit more from Elysium. It had such a strong idea, and is as original a Sci-Fi film as I've seen since Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009). The problem was that the violence near the end of the film wasn't commensurate with the vibe from the start. Damon's Max finds himself caught up in a more important fight than he could have predicted, but he's supposed to be the anti-hero, and he becomes larger than life, and virtually indestructible. I would have liked to have seen a little more humanity from him. Additionally, the film climaxed and ended pretty abruptly. There are so many untended questions that could have been addressed, but I suppose the pondering is what Neill intended.

I don't know why I thought Elysium would be so much more than what it was. Maybe it was the magic of District 9, or the idea of a fresh film in the genre when so much is stale, remakes, or sequels. Whatever the case may be, I just wasn't impressed as much as I had hoped. It's an interesting film, but not as interesting as it should be. 6/10.