Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Review of Elysium

 Elysium, the new science fiction movie from South Africa Director Neill Blomkamp, continues exploring the themes of migration and inequality that Mr. Blomkamp first discussed in his breakout hit, District 9 (a reference to Cape Town's infamous District 6).
  Elysium is notable amongst current films taking on the sensitive issue of immigration and wealthy countries' attempts to control it. Mr. Blomkamp's scathing critique of wealthy countries' attempts to keep out undesirable non-citizens is relevant not only to present day South Africa, but to wealthy countries the world over. Like its counterpart, the Hunger Games, Elysium is true sci fi, in that it uses a hypothetical future to dramatize the most wrenching inequalities of our times.
  But is the films successful? Like District 6, it sags a bit under the weight of its own ambition, spending too little time on philosophy and too much time on explosions, but nevertheless manages to rise above slick hollywood effects to deliver a real message and some genuine emotional punch. I imagine it made more than one citizen of a wealthy, westernized country squirm in his or her seat when the people of earth are finally granted citizenship in Elysium and access to the top quality medical care that goes with it. I look forward to Mr. Blomkamp's next film.

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