Director: Neill Blomkamp.
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Diega Luna, Alice Braga and Sharlto Copley.
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller.
Run Time: I hr and 49 min.
Rating: 7/10.
South African writer and director Neill Blomkamp first made a name for himself back in 2009 with his surprising hit Distict 9. Now in 2013 the young director is back with a Hollywood budget and Matt Damon as his lead actor.
The film is called Elysium and it is set way in the future in 2154. In this new future the world is divided into the haves and the have-nots, with the poor living in slum-like conditions on the over-populated earth's surface and the rich living in a floating satellite space station community called Elysium — where every citizen enjoys free high-tech health care.
The people of earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium — but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle.
Thumbs Up
Visually Neill Blomkamp continues to prove that he is very gifted. Elysium is a testament to Blomkamp's extraordinary skill as a visual filmmaker, everything from the visual landscape to the production design work is magnificent. He has managed to create an imaginary world and convincingly brought it to life, from the security robots to the futuristic transport ships.
Thumbs Down
While Neill Blomkamp may be a rock star, as a writer, he still has a long way to go. The narrative does not always flow together, it seems convoluted and is also perforated with shortcuts and annoying plot lapses.
Verdict
Yes it is not perfect, but it has all the making for great cinema entertainment.
