Much like my first GeekPost, this is more of a compilation, a greatest hits if you will, of my recent film viewing experiences, both of new releases, and those petite gems I choose to arbitrarily watch/re-watch. So, lets pull up a comfy drink, take a glass of your favourite chair, and I will begin.
District 9 (Spoiler Level 6/10) *****
Let's get the obvious out the way. This film is about racism, thinly veiled as xenoism (well not that thinly tbh). You have unwelcome aliens, called 'Prawns' in a derogatory fashion, being keep segregated from humans in the city of Johannesburg. You couldn't create a more obvious metaphor. No, really, I tried, none of the test subjects survived.
I greatly enjoyed the film, unsubtle subtext aside. The basic premise, that these worker class aliens, 'prawns' as they are called, arrive on earth in their beat up spaceship, and end up as refugees in Johannesburg (incidentally, the original short film it is based on is called 'Alive in Johannesburg') and this rapidly leads to tension and conflict. It's incredibly thought provoking to see people of both black and white skin talking about getting rid of these aliens in what is effectively a racist fashion. It sheds light on how much easier it is to discriminate rather than be compassionate.
Set against the back drop of xenophobia is two parallel stories that intertwine and converge. One of an agent of MNU, a corporation contracted to 'deal' with the alien population, who in the process of handing out eviction orders to the prawns, becomes embroiled with the darker side of business (involving mech suites, alien guns and a lot of gore and vomit). The other is that of a prawn father and his son trying to figure a way to get their ship started so they can return home. Without giving too much away, these two contrasting people become very important to each other, leading to some touching moments, great fights and some honest to goodness character development.
Inglourious Basterds (Spoiler Level 3/10) ***
As not much of either a war film fan (Saving Private Ryan and Enemy at the Gates), nor a Tarantino fan (Kill Bill 1/2) I was approaching this film solely based on its positive reviews and that both my girlfriend and our friend Anne both wanted to see it. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised.
There was a subtle blend of violence (that in itself, wasn't that subtle), dark humour (that was very dark) and emotive characters. The one thing I have to stress is that this is the most subtly conveyed alternative history films I've ever seen. The only spoiler is..............Hitler Dies. And boy is it the death he truly deserved. I have never seen so much violence and still feel the 'victim' got off easy. My favourite part, although a minute detail, is the 'punch guns' as I call them. Worn by two of the characters towards the end of the film, they're basically small one shot guns worn on the back of the hand that fire a single shot into your target when you punch them! How call is that!
There isn't really much else I can say about Inglourious except it is probably the best way to get into either war or Tarantino films and that Brad Pitt is tolerable.
Surrogates (Spoiler Level 3/10) ***
This was, IMHO, a mediocre science fiction film. It seemed to drawn too heavily on inspiration from other films. The heavy handed 'conspiracy' and aesthetic of I, Robot, Bruce Willis' acting from sixth sense (kinda) and the action sequences from, well any third rate sci-fi action flick. It wasn't that bad, it was enjoyable to watch, but nothing to write home about (well, actually technically it was, seeing as I'm writing this). I did like the general work put into to making the world in which it was set seem plausible and convincing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (Spoiler Level 3/10) ****
If I was to make an oversimplified, heavy handed and possible flawed analogy, FAQATT is to time travel as Shaun of the Dead is to zombie films. It's funny, a bit silly and very, VERY British. One of the best things about British films is the familiar faces, and FAQ is no different, albeit in some weird ways. For example, I never expected to see the star of Scary Movie, Anna Farris, featuring in such a film.
The premise is clever, yet simple. 3 mates at a pub experience time travel via the pub toilet, paradoxes and hilarity (and death) ensue.
That's all for now. I was going to give you my invaluable opinion on Pulse, Coraline and Bruno, but that can wait. I think.....
And remember, fook
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