Excellent movie - excellent statement

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2013)

I feel compelled to counterbalance some of the poorer reviews: concerning bad storytelling, not much to connect to, no chemistry between the main characters, not enough development of social criticism, no one changing to the better ... The movie provides a plain and clear statement. It doesn't want to be a simple hero-gets-heroine, down-in-our-hearts-we-actually-are-all-good-people-flick. One of the first thoughts that struck me was: this is exactly how we 1st-world-people treat refugees, foreigners, 3rd- world-countries... It is not a movie about chemistry between certain people, it is about chemistry between systems. Using the tool of a brilliant, entertaining, well-done action thriller with outstanding actors, Blomkamp draws a picture highlighting some of the grievances of our present world. Connecting to the movie's message is synonymous to connecting to these problems, to what we can see in our own neighborhood, country, political system right here and now. Do we ourselves change our attitude to the better? Or are we just, turning off the TV with a little shiver, glad to be on the better side, forgetting within a minute all about the poverty and sadness we have just watched? The movie doesn't need more chemistry, development or social criticism - it needs people to open their eyes, minds and hearts to see the plain facts. The only mistake Blomkamp maybe made was underestimating our ability to follow what is so clearly seen by him: he himself having lived in a 3rd-world and later in a 1st-world country, knows the difference from his own experience, the cause and effect of problems are obvious to him. We, who are lacking this first hand experience, must make an effort to see. Maybe it is easier for myself because my husband is South African and helped to open my eyes to the gap between rich and poor as well as our ignorance beforehand.