District 9 «««
R, 112m. 2009
Cast & Credits: Sharlto Copley (Wikus Van De Merwe), Jason Cope (Grey Bradnam – UKNR Chief Correspondent), Nathalie Boltt (Sarah Livingston – Sociologist), Sylvaine Strike (Dr. Katrina McKenzie), Elizabeth Mkandawie (Interviewee), John Summer (Les Feldman – MIL Engineer), William Allen Young (Dirk Michaels). Screenplay by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. Directed by Neill Blomkamp.
District 9 is a cross between those interactive computer games where part of the game tells a story and then when that chapter stops, the player uses their mouse to do battle in hopes of winning so the story can continue. On another level, it is like watching one of those in your face documentaries like NBC’s Dateline where various officials are interviewed about a tragedy that unfolded in some country.
At least that is how District 9 begins as we meet officials and engineers working for the company, Multi-National United (MNU). We learn watching the interviews how space invaders arrived over 20 years ago stalled and hovering over Johannesburg in a rundown antique that, unlike the Millennium Falcon from the original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983), really does look like a piece of junk.
When city officials and MNU learn the invaders called “Prawns” are stranded here, they decide to house the race, who look like deformed walking roaches in early infancy, in tents outside Johannesburg. They reminded me of the temporary rundown areas under the Florida interstates Al Pacino’s Cuban gangster Tony Montana and his boyhood pal, Manny Ray, had to spend their time in Scarface (1983) before breaking into the cocaine business.
Times have changed, however, for the “Prawns” in District 9. The citizens of Johannesburg no longer want them around and MNU has decided to evict the race and move them to another area. Just like any human being who wouldn’t react kindly to being served eviction notices by law enforcement much less the government, the Prawns put up a fight when MNU agent Wilkus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) attempts to serve them papers.
“Get your fookin' tentacle out of my face,” Van De Merwe says.
It’s at this point where if District 9 were an interactive video game, we, the viewer would help Van De Merwe successfully get the aliens moved out of the area with the help of the military. If we lose, Van De Merwe would…well, it’s not my job to give you a complete rundown of what happens in movies. Yes, something tragic does happen to Van De Merwe, and for me to tell you that what he goes through reminded me of what happens to Jeff Goldblum’s scientist character in the remake of The Fly (1986), then I have already given away too much.
Van De Merwe, at one point, even utters those words Goldblum’s Seth Brundle said to Geena Davis.
“Help me, please help me.”
By casting an entire group of unknown actors, the same technique director and writer Paul Greengrass did when he made United 93 (2006), District 9 is much more effective and makes us think this actually happened in real life, even though it is all fantasy. The film would not have worked as well if we saw, for example, George Clooney in the Van De Merwe role. We’d feel as though we’re watching George Clooney versus newcomer Sharlto Copely, who according to trivia facts on IMDB.com about District 9, has no acting experience and was never intent on pursuing an acting career to begin with.
Someone once told me when it comes to writing, you should write about what you know or base it on your own experiences. By comparison, the same probably applies to film making. Director Blomkamp based District 9’s idea on his childhood experiences living in South Africa during apartheid’s racial segregation that took place between 1948 and 1994 according to wikepedia.com.
The difference here is instead of putting human beings into racial groups, it’s aliens from space who are being put into their own classes. On that level, District 9 is an originally clever idea, making it an interesting place to visit but I sure as Hell wouldn’t want to live there.
Of all things I don’t wish to learn about, the number one thing I don’t want to read while browsing on comingsoon.net one morning is the news that Hollywood is making a sequel to District 9, aptly titled “District 10.”
©8/19/09
R, 112m. 2009
Cast & Credits: Sharlto Copley (Wikus Van De Merwe), Jason Cope (Grey Bradnam – UKNR Chief Correspondent), Nathalie Boltt (Sarah Livingston – Sociologist), Sylvaine Strike (Dr. Katrina McKenzie), Elizabeth Mkandawie (Interviewee), John Summer (Les Feldman – MIL Engineer), William Allen Young (Dirk Michaels). Screenplay by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell. Directed by Neill Blomkamp.
At least that is how District 9 begins as we meet officials and engineers working for the company, Multi-National United (MNU). We learn watching the interviews how space invaders arrived over 20 years ago stalled and hovering over Johannesburg in a rundown antique that, unlike the Millennium Falcon from the original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983), really does look like a piece of junk.
When city officials and MNU learn the invaders called “Prawns” are stranded here, they decide to house the race, who look like deformed walking roaches in early infancy, in tents outside Johannesburg. They reminded me of the temporary rundown areas under the Florida interstates Al Pacino’s Cuban gangster Tony Montana and his boyhood pal, Manny Ray, had to spend their time in Scarface (1983) before breaking into the cocaine business.
Times have changed, however, for the “Prawns” in District 9. The citizens of Johannesburg no longer want them around and MNU has decided to evict the race and move them to another area. Just like any human being who wouldn’t react kindly to being served eviction notices by law enforcement much less the government, the Prawns put up a fight when MNU agent Wilkus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) attempts to serve them papers.
“Get your fookin' tentacle out of my face,” Van De Merwe says.
It’s at this point where if District 9 were an interactive video game, we, the viewer would help Van De Merwe successfully get the aliens moved out of the area with the help of the military. If we lose, Van De Merwe would…well, it’s not my job to give you a complete rundown of what happens in movies. Yes, something tragic does happen to Van De Merwe, and for me to tell you that what he goes through reminded me of what happens to Jeff Goldblum’s scientist character in the remake of The Fly (1986), then I have already given away too much.
Van De Merwe, at one point, even utters those words Goldblum’s Seth Brundle said to Geena Davis.
“Help me, please help me.”
I have to admit on one level, I found it hard not to compare District 9’s plot elements to other memorable science fiction movies of the past. The alien spaceship looks like an early discarded drawing director Steven Spielberg might have said no to as to what he wanted the mother ship to look like in his classic epic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) for example.The in-your-face documentary style footage reminded me of Cloverfield (2007) where everything was shot on a hand held camera, except here, there are no jerky camera movements that cause dizziness.
By casting an entire group of unknown actors, the same technique director and writer Paul Greengrass did when he made United 93 (2006), District 9 is much more effective and makes us think this actually happened in real life, even though it is all fantasy. The film would not have worked as well if we saw, for example, George Clooney in the Van De Merwe role. We’d feel as though we’re watching George Clooney versus newcomer Sharlto Copely, who according to trivia facts on IMDB.com about District 9, has no acting experience and was never intent on pursuing an acting career to begin with.
Someone once told me when it comes to writing, you should write about what you know or base it on your own experiences. By comparison, the same probably applies to film making. Director Blomkamp based District 9’s idea on his childhood experiences living in South Africa during apartheid’s racial segregation that took place between 1948 and 1994 according to wikepedia.com.
The difference here is instead of putting human beings into racial groups, it’s aliens from space who are being put into their own classes. On that level, District 9 is an originally clever idea, making it an interesting place to visit but I sure as Hell wouldn’t want to live there.
I have one simple request to make to Hollywood though. It’s no biggie and I know they aren’t going to listen to me but I’m going to say it anyway. Now that District 9 is considered a box office hit, please don’t do a sequel the way you greedy executives all felt compelled to do an unnecessary follow-up to Oscar winning director Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller, 28 Days Later (2002), called 28 Weeks Later (2007). Let the sci-fi/horror fans who got all excited about District 9 at fantasy conventions held over the past year hopelessly wish for a sequel that should never come.By comparison, let the government officials in District 9 wonder if the aliens will come back in full force in ships the size of giant pancakes like the ones from Independence Day (1996) to go medieval on the human race’s ass as a result of Johannesburg’s cruel treatment of them. Let Van De Merwe’s wife hold out hope that her husband is still out there somewhere in the city of Johannesburg or perhaps living among the “Prawns” rummaging through dumpsters and eating cat food.
Of all things I don’t wish to learn about, the number one thing I don’t want to read while browsing on comingsoon.net one morning is the news that Hollywood is making a sequel to District 9, aptly titled “District 10.”
©8/19/09
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