Synopsis: Read on IMDB
Should you watch this movie? Sure. I think it is a provocative piece that provides enough action to keep viewers entertained and wondering about what will happen next. The plot may not be as well thought of as it could be, but that is not a reason not to watch.
The year is 2154 and the world is divided into two classes: a wealthy elite that lives in a space habitat called Elysium where they live a luxurious comfortable lifestyle and the rest back on Earth where they struggle in poverty. When Max, a former convict living on Earth is put in a life-threatening situation that can only be fixed in Elysium, the journey could not only save his own life, but the fate of the entire population of Earth.
The movie was directed by Neil Blomkamp, the South African director who brought us District 9. Like with the latter, Elysium brings a strong political commentary rooted in some of the current political and societal debates around the world today (but massively in the US, of course). The cast was well chosen and suited the characters well: Matt Damon (as Max Da Costa), Jodie Foster (as Secretary Delacourt), Alice Braga (as Frey), and Blomkamp’s star from District 9 Sharlto Copley (as Agent Kruger). Plot-wise is where things could be improved though…
Although the story is compelling at the beginning, you soon realize you are getting closing to the end and a couple of plot holes have not been closed. Whether this was deliberate or not (I’m sure some of these can be filled with the viewer’s own “conclusions”), some may find the missing pieces substract from the message and the overall satisfaction with the movie. Or not, really. I did not care, I still found enjoyment in the flick. All but one little detail of this movie really troubled me and that was the portrayal of the movie’s “demographics”.
First of all, the majority of the Californian population, where the majority of the movie takes place, is composed by a bunch of ethnic-looking people that speak Spanish with a distinct Mexican accent. Sure, more and more people in the US speak Spanish and people come from a mixed ethnicity background, but couldn’t they have added a couple of rich Mexicans to Elysium’s population? The only “brown” guy shown in the space habitat happens to be called “Patel”, definitely not a Mexican or Hispanic last name. Well, at least they are not all white up there, but I think it still kind of sucks there’s a whole “Mexicans overruning this country” rhetoric, whether intended on purpose or not.
In any case the movie is worth a watch, plot holes and all!
Paola’s mood after watching this movie:
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