A lot of money, good CGI and effects, good actors, but a simplistic script and lack of emotion are really a problem.

Rating: 5/10 (14 January 2020)

The problem with films that are overly based on social criticism is that they almost always portray society in a simplistic way: on one hand the poor and marginalized, on the other the rich and powerful. There are no half terms. In such movies, the rich are usually cruel and egocentric, the ruling class. Likewise, the poor end up trying to organize and take away their power and money in the name of a fairer society. Karl Marx would approve of these films.
In fact, things are never that simple, and society, no matter how bad it is, is generally far more heterogeneous than the portrayal of this film. Even so, there are moments when criticism brutally approaches reality. For example, when the guns of Elysium destroy the ships with the people who want to reach it. At that moment, it was hard for me not to think about the ships loaded with illegal immigrants who cross the Mediterranean every month in the worst conditions, looking for an Eldorado they think exists in Europe.
Despite the unappealing simplicity of the plot, the film pays off with good actors doing a relatively satisfactory work. Matt Damon, while not one of my favorites, is quite good in his role. Sharlto Copley is a convincing and rude villain, Alice Braga and Wagner Moura, two good Brazilian actors, do not disappoint but I have doubts about their ability to accompany American colleagues, who have a whole different dramatic school. In any case, they do not disappoint and honor the credits of Brazilian dramaturgy. The worst of this movie, as regards the cast, was the artificial performance of Jodie Foster.
The movie has good special effects, state of the art on a big budget movie like this. However, the pace is quite uneven and unbalanced. But worse than that is the feeling that we are watching a cold movie, unable to emotionally connect us with the story or the characters. It's worth seeing, but it's not that kind of movie that stays in our memory and makes us spend our money on it.