Elysium

Cast of Characters:
Max DeCosta - Matt Damon
Secretary of Defense Delacourt - Jodie Foster
Agent Kruger - Sharlto Copley
Frey - Alice Braga
Julio - Diego Luna
Spider - Wagner Moura
John Carlyle - William Fichtner

Director - Neill Blomkamp
Screenplay - Neill Blomkamp
Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout

      Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Jodie Foster star in Academy Award nominee Neill Blomkamp's sophomore follow up to his surprise hit District 9, Elysium. It hasn't been as highly anticipated as other blockbuster films this year, but does it still entertain?

      The year is 2154. Earth has been ravaged by disease, pollution and over-population. The wealthy have escaped to a Utopian-like space station known as Elysium, which is overseen and protected by Secretary of Defense Delacourt (Jodie Foster). On Elysium, the citizens live comfortably, free of any disease courtesy of machines that provide instant cures.

      Back on Earth, Max DeCosta (Matt Damon), who as a child always dreamed of one day being able to take him and his friend Frey to Elysium, is an ex-con working a factory job. His lifelong friend Frey (Alice Braga), who now has a daughter dying of Leukemia, works at the local hospital. Following a machine malfunction, DeCosta is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. He is told he only has five days left to live. His friend Julio (Diego Luna) takes him to Spider (Wagner Moura), a techie that can provide a way for DeCosta to reach Elysium and be cured. By surgically attaching a metal exoskeleton type machine on DeCosta they will be able to download the identity of his boss John Carlyle (William Fichtner) in order to hijack his way into Elysium. DeCosta, feeling that he's got nothing to lose anyway with only five days left to live, agrees to plan. He'll have to get through Agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley), Delacourt's vicious henchman, to get there though.

      2009's District 9 was a surprise hit that took the world by storm and introduced everyone to Neill Blomkamp, the co-writer and director of the film. The question here would be whether he could deliver another hit. The film's weak spots really lie in the presentation of Elysium. I, quite frankly, wanted to see more of it. The film runs a little bit over the 100 minute mark, so an extra 15 minutes of how life and society works out for those in Elysium wouldn't have hurt the film in any way. The second problem, and I thought I'd never say this in a million years, is Jodie Foster. It's not a good performance at all from here. In fact, it could be one of the worst this year (Melissa Leo in Olympus Has Fallen still takes the crown there though). I don't know if it was her stiff delivery or the multiple accents I detected from her, but you'd never expect it from a two time Oscar winner. It's a shame 'cause the thought of her in a big-budget sci-fi/action flick really interested me. Despite the film's weaknesses, this is still a greatly entertaining sci-fi/action movie with some gorgeous visuals and cinematography as well as some brutally exciting action sequences. You'll definitely be seeing this film in a number of technical categories come next year at the Oscars. As for Foster, her bad performance is compensated by two terrifically charismatic performances by Sharlto Copley and Wagner Moura. Copley is so over the top, yet his character is clearly insane enough to where it allows for it. Seeing him go from the mild-mannered bureaucrat he was in District 9 to this crazy son of a bitch was a good turn for him, and it was fun seeing him get to steal the show here. Matt Damon obviously has proven he's capable of playing in action films from the moment he starred in The Bourne Identity and here he delivers again what we expect from him. There's also a nice turn from Alice Braga that provides a few touching moments within the film. There are, of course, the social aspects of the film. Where District 9 was a metaphor for apartheid, Elysium touches on basically every social issue known to man. Subtlety is not Blomkamp's game, but he never lets it get overly preachy. This is still an action film at the end of the day.

      While it's not the best summer blockbuster of the year, you'll be far from disappointed. Aside from Foster (Seriously, I can't believe I'm saying that), the performances are solid. The action is riveting and the visuals are simply amazing. Seeing it in the IMAX format was even better. It's not quite as good as District 9, but Blomkamp shows he didn't just get lucky with his first effort. Mark my words, this man has a promising career ahead of him. I give Elysium an A- (★★★½).

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