Elizabeth Reuter's Blog - Posts Tagged "elysium"

Just saw Elysium, the latest sci-fi action blockbuster from the maker of District 9. Bluntly put, it did not live up to its potential…but boy, it had a lot of potential, and there was enough meat to both entertain and stick with me.

The story is not unique. Rich people oppress poor people, so our poor heroes have to shoot their way to equality. Whether a story that overdone becomes “classic” or “stereotypical” hinges on how well it’s told, and thankfully, writer/director Neill Blomkamp knows how to tell a story in visuals. He didn’t shy away from scenes of people really being hurt (and I mean really being hurt; in parts I had to cover my eyes, and I’m a horror fan) so that I felt how bad-off our heroes were, and their desperation and anger over the crap hand life had dealt them.

This was bolstered by acting good enough to make that pain real. Unfortunately, great acting was also needed to hide how poor the character writing was. The characters were as flat as the movie screen itself, and Blomkamp made this all the more obvious with scenes so dripping in saccharine sweetness I’m amazed the actors made it through some of their lines.

The only character that stood out (Jodie Foster’s Secretary of Defense Jessica Delacourt, a steely, conscious-less warrior who sees herself as the supreme protector of the upper crust, started out with presence but came to a badly thought out end) was Spider, played by Brazilian actor Wagner Moura. Spider was the ultimate Godfather, tough and slimy, yet charismatic and compelling, savvy and strong enough to pull some nasty guys under control despite some sort of injury that kept him from walking correctly. Moura made Spider compelling and dimensional in a way that overshadowed even the rest of the stellar cast. Spider had mannerisms, a notable speech pattern, things that made him stand out; he gave Spider a story I was never told, but could feel, and wanted more of.

But back to why the movie itself didn’t suck: strengthening the visuals and the acting were really, really good action scenes. They were everything action scenes should be, exciting and unpredictable. They were also violent in an honest way, and so even while I thrilled in the movement, I cringed from the obvious pain each wound inflicted.

If only it had done more with its story and characters! Blomkamp hasn’t figured out how to either write strongly, or overwhelm me enough with his visuals that I don’t care. Still, he’s a young director, and I have hope for his future after this.

Overall: not close to perfect, but entertaining, interesting, and containing Wagner Moura. I declare it good.

-Elizabeth Reuter
Author, The Demon of Renaissance Drive