Embrace your creed

Post number four and the final movie review for my new years post marathon! This is one of two science fiction films that I've invested my time on this year.  Unlike the other, Star Trek: Into Darkness, this film wasn't listed on my 'must watch' films list.  I've saved the best for last for this post marathon.  Elysium not only made me a definite fan of director Neill Blomkamp (As the poster suggests, the director of my Sy-fy favorite), it has made me reflect myself as a film student as well.

  

Upon learning the technicalities and arts of film making, I can't help but to reflect myself with infamous directors of the art cinema  Names such as Woody Allen and Jean-Luc Godard are often mentioned; to encourages us to make more artistic films.  Yes, I admit that I'm imagining these problems in my head; thinking that someone or the public is pushing me to be an artistic filmmaker.  I just can't help myself to think about these possibilities.  The best that I can make out of it is self discovery; learning what I want specifically.  What sort of filmmaker I want to be?  Well, the reason lies on two things.  I'm a geek and I'm a Muslim.  So, moving on the review of this epic Science fiction, this film helped me discover that inner geek within me.

The visuals

While I feel that this film tackles a theme that's dangerously close to being cliche, the visuals are definitely admirable efforts of taking the genre to the next level.  The feel of realism is elevated with handheld camera shots and I believe that's no easy task with massive amount of CGI.  Not to mention the action sequence that really puts you on the edge of your seat.  I'm no easy person to get hyped for action scene; the explosions and choreographed fights are just digested with almost no amount of enthusiasm.  No, I don't hate it.  It's just that I have a hard time to get excited about it.  But that's all different with the action sequence in Elysium.  I was especially excited during the kidnap scene.

The settings

It seems familiar; the whole dirty and corrupted world of Elysium and it doesn't helps when I'm now a fan of Dredd (Seeing much similarities with both film's settings).  While I have no problem of seeing the same theme being tackled, I sense that this one doesn't tries to go beyond the tropes that most Sy-fy films go for.  I can't deny that I have a big problem of engaging with Sy-fy films (Which is why I'm trying to dwell into it more) and perhaps this neglect is a major factor for my sense of dissatisfaction of Elysium's world.  Sadly, this does affect the rating of this film; that instant feel I had when I left the cinema. 

The dedication

Comes the part where self reflecting emerges out of me ever so strongly.  I know I'm a geek but yet I'm confident that telling stories for the sake of commercialization wouldn't be satisfying.  For a brief and scary moment, I see no solution.  It's either I'm a geek, telling commercialized superhero stories, or an 'artist' who tells incomprehensible personal views of life (Oh my god, so deep).  Seeing Blomkamp realizing his vision is definitely an eye opener and just plain awesome.  I can't help but to compare him with J.J Abrams and especially with his latest film.  I can see the dedication of Blomkamp using the genre of Sy-fy to express his views of the world.  While I appreciate Abram's respect to satisfy the Trekkies and the franchise's universe itself, I take Blomkamp's work more personally; reflecting and assuring myself that it is possible and better yet, appreciated.

The story uses the high possibilities of how races and language can diversify the people of earth; most Hispanics are victims of a dying earth while Caucasians are living with the best health care in a space station named Elysium.  In fact, this is a reflection of today's reality.  The themes of races, medical care and politics are developed very well.  I say, even more than the characters themselves.  I guess this is an example of a film that focuses more on the story's settings rather than the character developments.  Hmm, maybe that's another big reason why I couldn't indulge this film in full due to my taste of preferring characters.  However, the theme's developments here are highly appreciated.  The ending made me say to myself "This is Blomkamp's trademark" and if you've already seen District 9, I guess you can figure it out.  The ending is also a strong attempt of making the themes of this story more apparent which made all of my conclusion of commending this film not commercialize worthy diminish.  I knew then what sort film this is. 

The verdict

I had my doubts during most of the time while I was watching this film and I regret it.  It had cause me and I couldn't engage with the story to the max.  After a long time of thinking it over, Elysium is a movie that's admirable with its almost altruistic ambitions with the story.  This is a rating I gave after walking out of the cinema which differs from now (Which is higher).  So, I give Neill Blomkamp's Elysium a strong 3.5/5.