Check in to "District 9"

Media / 8/24/2009 9:24:44 PM

Back again with another (see Dead Nazi Snow) disturbing film newly splashing the screens is our charming Chicago writer, Gracie Hagen. This movie has been teasing us online for months and finally we get to see what all the alien fuss is about!  

District 9: you think you know what it is? You've probably gathered its set in South Africa. The viral marketing is, "For Humans Only! Non-Humans Banned!" The trailer is comprised of people talking about how they hate the aliens. All of those things point to a social commentary sci-fi film about bigotry and prejudice. What you don't expect is that the part where they tell you intolerance is fucking dumb is handled within the first 20 minutes. Then they move on. While watching the film, predictability is something you give up on after the first act.

The main character Wikus Van De Merwes (played by Sharlto Copley who has never acted before in his life and does a fantastic job), is infected by some mysterious alien substance. You would assume that it's going to turn into a global crisis type of film, but actually it is a much more personal story. It has a soul. Most sci-fi, action, blockbuster type films excite you, but only on one level. Films that have a soul rouse more than just that solitary level of just entertainment. They make you feel for the story and the characters themselves. There are scenes in which I almost got teary eyed. By my saying that, you might think; "Aw fuck. A god damned tear jerking alien story. Gag me with an alien-substance infected fork!" But you'd be wrong. The film is a near perfect balance of drama and action. Action? That brings me to the guns. I need to talk about weaponry. These guns explode people! Every time a new armament was introduced I was jumping up and down in my seat. This is where I saw Peter Jackson's hand in this project. Almost a throwback to Bad Taste and Dead Alive in the way the gore was depicted.

The best part of District 9 was the attention to detail that made the film more realistic. Director and writer Neill Blomkamp shows us the world he created with subtle camera shots and writing techniques. He covers society's response to the alien's presence in its entirety - the political, military, religious, and civilian reactions. For instance, the people use the slang term "prawns" for the aliens - because, as one man simply states, "They look like big prawns." In most of the shots you see the prawns' spaceship floating above Johannesburg. Not in a blatant 'The aliens are here!' sort of way, but in a manner where you may or may not even notice in a passing shot. Blomkamp also uses dark humor and satire to show us even more of the world he created; e.g. the abortion scene. I won't go into detail because that scene alone is worth paying to see in theaters.

Taking everything into account, you should go see this because it's not a remake, reboot, or formulaic sci-fi film. District 9 does, as I quote my good friend Andy, "What good science fiction does - creates a story of what is not, while reflecting what is."

Gracie Hagen