District 9

"Don't you think that's worth a Nobel Prize or two?"

Two aliens, among thousands made to live in slums for over twenty years, strike an uneasy bargain with a man they aren't sure is an Allie.

Take a moment and think back all the way to Monday afternoon. Do you remember my chief complaint about Funny People? Well, my feeling on District 9 is the exact opposite. It left me craving further exploration if it's world, but I mean left me craving in a good way. And as much as I could have gone for more, it's 112 min. run time was kind of refreshing.

Directed and Co-written by Neil Blomkamp (with Terri Tatchell) District 9 was developed as a spiritual successor to his six and a half minute short entitled Alive in Joburg. I have seen the short, and I think District 9 is a beautiful evolution of it's core mechanics. There is a focus put on action in Joburg, and following in that vein District 9 can feel very action driven at times, but not so much that it relinquishes all control over the story to it- like some other movies that I will not name because I don't want to embarrass I, Robot.

Sharlto Copely makes his feature length debut as the ever awkward Wikus Van De Merwe, and does so with a very natural feel. Van De Merwe is a dynamic character, and Copely makes his progression very accessible with his unpolished portrayal. And I must say that the two main Prawn characters translate beautifully as just that- characters. I felt for their plight and connected with their relationship. The characters in this movie- C.G. or no -are striking, and I feel that anyone who approaches them with an open mind will agree will find themselves quite invested.

Honestly, I would love to say more about this film but would be hard pressed to do so and not feel like I was spoiling. The premise is intriguing, the characters are rich, the social commentary is well executed, and I am very pleased.

Watcher X says: "I didn't like how they treated them."

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Alive in Joburg: Watching it again now that I've seen District 9, it so perfectly feels like the ambitious seed.