Now this was a fantastic movie. I usually like to keep a certain level of ambiguity about my enjoyment of a film, because most often I enjoy certain parts of a movie while not enjoying other aspects. Perhaps the film is technically outstanding but fails to strike an emotional chord with the audience; or maybe the film is groundbreaking in theory or on paper but technical inadequacies don't properly communicate the director's intentions. Most films, I find, fall somewhere in between these two extremes, but occasionally there comes along a movie that strikes a perfect balance.
As has become something of a regular habit of mine, I went into District 9 as uninformed as was able. I saw two trailers for the film, which probably was one too many, for the second gave away too much of the plot but still the specifics of the story were entirely unknown to me. I love the excitement of not knowing plot details, but still having some level of assurance that it will be a quality film.
District 9 is the kind of film that sucks you in almost from the moment the first frame flashes across the screen. Director Niell Blomkamp employs a documentary style storytelling method to great success throughout, though it's particularly engrossing during the first half of the film. Some might say it emulates the hand-held film style Cloverfield pioneered, and to a degree it does, but I think what separates District 9 from the former is how it feels more like a tv broadcast while Cloverfield was meant to feel like a home video. Both styles are similar, but subtly different.
Another element of District 9 that helped create a unique atmosphere for the film was the actors and setting. The film takes place entirely in Johannesburg, South Africa and features only South African actors to my knowledge (with the exception of Jed Brophy, who makes cameos in all movies tied to Peter Jackson). I had never seen a movie set in South Africa, nor had I observed many South African actors. Their accents are peculiar, and (at least in my experience) added a very unique feel to the movie. More than their accents, however, what makes the actors' work so memorable was what I felt was a kind of raw quality. Because the acting is so good it's easy to forget that these aren't real people at all. All the elements of the storytelling fit together precisely in such a way that the film universe is seamless.
The story was very good, and not exactly typical for a sci-fi action film. Thanks to that second trailer, part of the main character's story arc was almost ruined for me but it doesn't prevent the story itself from being very solid. Part of the main character's story involves him trying to re-connect with his estranged wife, an important element that almost fades a little too far into the background during the later half of the movie but is poignantly brought back to the foreground at the close. Fortunately enough, every element of the story that I had concerns about as the movie progressed were elegantly dealt with almost as soon as it popped into mind. I don't know whether to attribute the masterful story handling to beginner's luck for Mr. Blomkamp or to Peter Jackson's more experienced hand of influence in the film but ultimately it doesn't matter because the movie benefits regardless.
I can't write the entire review without mentioning how cool the aliens and the technology look. Having Peter Jackson backing the production, of course, included the resources of world class studio Weta Digital, whose work has become something of a favorite for me. But all the words in the world can't paint a picture as vivid as the artists at Weta can do, so just rest assured the production values are outstanding.
Even in a genre as over stuffed as science fiction, District 9 manages to carve out more than enough breathing room for itself. Blomkamp's first feature length film is a resounding success and will almost certainly take its place as a sci fi action classic alongside James Cameron classics like Terminator 2 and Aliens. The door is obviously left open for a potential sequel, which I would very much look forward to, but regardless I anxiously await Mr. Blomkamp's next project.
9/10
District 9
Directed by Niell Blomkamp
Produced by Peter Jackson, Bill Block, Ken Kamins, Paul Hanson, Elliot Fernwerda
Written by Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Starring Jason Cope, Robert Hobbs, Sharlto Copley
Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language
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