District 9

I'm not even going to begin explaining the plot of District 9, as this is another film that should ideally be seen with as little knowledge as possible. All you need to know is the basic concept of aliens living in a Johannesburg slum for over twenty years, forcibly segregated from the human population. To reveal any more would be a disservice to the few people who read this.

What I will tell you is that District 9 is brilliant. An astonishing achievement from first-time South African director Neill Blomkamp, this is a film that grabs you almost instantly with its gritty realism and faux-documentary stylings, before gradually getting even better as the story unfolds. The second half of the movie is just staggering, featuring some of the most visceral, intense and beautifully executed action scenes I have seen for quite some time. The visual effects, especially those of the aliens themselves, are remarkable - despite their prevalence they are virtually seamless and never draw attention to themselves. I find this amusing after all the (apparently misguided) talk about James Cameron's much-vaunted "photo-real" alien characters in his upcoming film Avatar - I'm sorry James, but District 9 has beaten you to it (and arguably done it better). Oh, and on quite literally one tenth of your budget!

It's worth drawing attention to the film's star, Sharlto Copley. His transformation from his initial appearance as a bumbling office bureacrat to the undisputed hero of the story is made utterly believable by a truly excellent, star-making performance, all the more impressive considering that Copley has essentially no previous acting experience. The two main alien characters also deliver extremely emotive, compelling performances, and the fact that I can even say this about CGI characters is a great credit to Blomkamp and his effects team.

Of course as a former resident of Joburg I got a kick out of the film's unique setting, and the little details like the the SABC logo on TV news footage made me smile. The very fact that the story takes place in South Africa allows for an intriguing allegory to the events in District 6 during the apartheid era, but crucially it does not beat you over the head with its themes of intolerance and racism. Ultimately this is a hugely entertaining sci-fi action thriller with a healthy dose of intelligence, emotion and even some humour thrown in. I've heard some complaints about various plot holes and contivances, but even if there are, I was enjoying myself so much that I either didn't notice or didn't care. District 9 is without a doubt one of the best films of the year so far, and in a perfect world would be attracting awards attention come Oscar time...

VERDICT: A must-watch. Go see it! Now!

IMDb