A very gritty and compelling sci-fi story.

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2009)

District 9 is different. There's no doubt about that. The premise is not totally original, but it feels fresh enough to prevent the audience from feeling they're watching a retread. It's also very smart, very exciting and visually arresting. Like some of the best science-fiction stories of all time, it actually has something to say, and it stimulates the mind instead of killing it. Is what Transformers 2 would have wanted to be - yes, there's even a fight sequence in District 9 involving a big robot and it's a thousand times better than anything present in Michael Bay's movie - and what most sci-fi movies should be. Granted, I guess a lot of people - especially teenagers - will hate it because it doesn't follow the usual rules of "summer blockbusters", but it matters not. Although it's got its share of action and special effects, this is by no means a typical Hollywood blockbuster, and I thank director Neil Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson for that.
District 9 is an interesting motion picture. During the majority of its considerable running time, the film is constructed as a mockumentary, with interviews with "experts" and even the protagonist's family being intercut with the actual events of the movie. And the actual events are shot and cut in a very "in your face" kind of manner, with a particular sequence - that in which Wilkus is infected - being the most obvious example. (The cameraman is an actual character.) Fortunately, the camera-work is not as shaky as in, say, Cloverfield, and the technique never really turns into a gimmick. Actually, Blomkamp's gritty, realistic approach works wonderfully, giving the movie a sense of verisimilitude that adds some gravitas to the proceedings. It makes the viewer feel like part of this world.
A lot must be said too about the film's special effects, which add to the feeling of realism instead of detracting from it. Simply put, they are top-notch, something that is quite surprising considering the film's modest budget of $30 000 000. The aliens' design is effective, and although they were all created in a computer, there wasn't a single moment in which I thought they were digital creations instead of palpable characters. The few action sequences the film provides with are all pulse-pounding and expertly shot - Michael Bay should definitely watch this movie -. (Consider the finale involving the giant, alien robot, for example.) Most importantly, though, the effects never call attention to themselves, and they make an appearance because they are needed, not because the filmmakers wanted to craft a CGI stravaganza.
Clearly, the film's tone is not very optimistic or cheerful, but that goes with the material. After all, it present a world in which aliens are "greeted" with discrimination and greed, and every good intention humankind could have had before is quickly disappearing. From a visual point of view, Blomkamp conveys this with a very gritty, almost black-and-white cinematography - this is a very bleak world in which people - and aliens - get all bloody, messy, dirty and even killed. On the other hand, although most people might think they "should" root for Wilke, things aren't as simple as they look. The way Blomkamp makes the viewer see things is very interesting - Wilke is not a "bad" man, but since he does things that look as terrible as anything done by a stereotypical movie villain, one doesn't really know if he's a protagonist worth rooting for or not. Maybe that's why the aliens - especially Christopher Johnson - were given a humanoid look and human-like mannerisms. Considering how they are treated, one should expect to feel sympathetic for them.
Still, compared to how scientists and greedy company CEOs are portrayed, Wilke is almost an angel. After all, there's still some humanity left in him - he has a a wife that he loves, for example -, and he becomes even more humane during the last few scenes, even though he suffers a transformation that, in theory, should make him less of a human. If anything, the movie shows how people can be overridden by greed and xenophobia and that, ultimately, they would care more about money and power than the human - or alien - condition. The worst thing about this is that, if aliens ever visit out planet, there are more chances of us treating them like they are treated in the movie, than of being all benevolent and peaceful. One only has to give a brief look to any history book to find proof of this.
District 9 won't make anyone feel happy or joyful, but that's beside the point. It's a very compelling movie that works in both a visceral and intellectual level, and that should be enjoyed by any "serious" science fiction aficionado. It's got some exciting actual sequences, amazing special effects and a very well-thought premise but, most importantly, it also has an interesting - and sadly plausible - message about humanity. The film's ending is also something of a set up for a sequel, but unlike other movies, it doesn't feel neither incomplete nor unsatisfying. I, for one, would certainly like a sequel to be made, although I have no idea of how Blomkamp could continue telling his story in such a believable and "in-your-face" kind of way. No matter. As it is, District 9 is one of the best sci-fi movies I've seen in some time.