h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday evening I went out to see a movie with other people for the first time in quite a while! A friend who works at a local art gallery where I frame my art and also have some of my paintings on display asked me to come with him and some of his friends. I am very happy I went! I hope to be able to do this more. We went to see Elysium. This movie is another one by Neil Blomkamp, director of 'District 9', the science fiction movie happening in an alternate history version of South Africa.

Elysium again has a few South African actors, notably Sharlto Copley who this time plays a completely evil character. The story is set about 150 years in the future, where the entire Earth has degenerated into a polluted, overpopulated slum, and the Elite has taken refuge to a huge orbiting space colony, Elysium. Down on earth life is harsh and gritty and 'real' while up there it is ideal, perfectly orderly and everyone is immaculately groomed and sort of plastic looking. Also, up there they have 'healing pods' that can cure just about anything, while down on Earth the populace is plagued by diseases.

People on Earth try and escape to Elysium the way people today try to 'escape' from Mexico or other poor countries into America or Europe. They try to sneak in shuttles … while the Elysians do everything in their power to prevent them.

Matt Damon plays Max DaCosta, a resident of a giant slum called Los Angeles. He had a number of run-ins with the law but is trying to go straight, working at a plant making security bots. While at work he's exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, leaving him only five days to live. Desperate, he contacts some of his old crime buddies and signs up for a job which could get him a chance to go to Elysium, where he could get healed. Things turn nasty as it turns out his job also gets him involved in a coup conspiracy by Secretary Delacourt of Elysium, played by Jodie Foster, aided by an unscrupulous South African mercenary, Kruger (Sharlto Copley). Then there's also Max's old friend Frey (Alice Braga) and her sick little daughter, for whom Elysium also presents a last hope ...

Like 'District 9' this movie is basically social commentary in a science fiction guise. We already experience much of what in the movie is taken to the logical extreme. For the 'elite' things are peachy but they are surrounded by the unwashed masses … we already see here in South Africa how the rich are retreating into 'gated communities' patrolled by guards. This is similar to what happens in many other countries. The inequality between the wealthy and the poor is growing to the point where they have completely different kinds of lives. This extends to medical care … while we don’t yet have 'cure-all' pods, it is still true that the rich can get very much better medical care than the poor. But of course the rich on Earth are constantly threatened by the poor. Wealthy folks are targeted by thieves for their wealth, and global protests against inequality may find the rich targeted in other ways. Poor and neglected neighbourhoods are breeding places for violent criminals that threaten the rich and poor alike. Also rich people, even if not suffering from crime, find their consciences appealed to, keep getting asked to give money for this and that, for these and those poor people. But what if they could escape into space? Would they then be immune? Could they then go about their wealthy ways in perfect peace and freedom? After all, only rich people can even afford a chance to go up into space.

So this was quite an interesting topic for a movie. There was a lot of action and suspense as well. I wasn't entirely satisfied with everything … don't want to put any spoilers here, but I thought the orbiting colony wasn't entirely believable … also, their computer interfaces … and there was some aspects of the technology I couldn't easily buy. Also I would have liked to see the lifestyle on Elysium being portrayed a bit more … well, more life-like. People will still be people, even in a luxury space neighbourhood. I would have liked to see the implications more carefully worked out for Elysium, as for Earth.

But anyways, it is quite a watchable film and I appreciated it to be able to go out with some other people.

Hey! It's great to have your view on this film.

Be sure to read Awix's review in next week's issue of . Our resident cinema critic has been to see 'Elysium', as well. I won't give anything away here.

It certainly sounds interesting!

what a review! I love going to the cinema (I go once a week) and Elysium is on my "must see" list. I tend not to read reviews (especially professional ones) so it's a refreshing change to read your opinion and I'll be interested to see this "social commentary in a science fiction guise" (I thought Wall-E was much the same, and very well done).

Thanks Willem, and great to hear that you're going out with friends

GB

Yay Willem

It's good you are getting out and about with friends

Thanks for the review


lil x

Hello everyone! Glad you liked the review. I'll try and write more as I go and see more movies ... hopefully again with friends.

More delighted that you went out with friends. Keep it up and try and build a social life, it will make all the difference to you.

Glad you enjoyed the film anyway,

Websailor