Entertaining sci fi with political undertones

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2013)

This film by the South African director Neil Blomkamp is set in 2154, in an Earth that has become a planet wide slum. The wealthy classes has migrated to a space satellite called Elysium, which looks like a gigantic gated community, who is protected from the invasion of illegal immigrants by the ruthless Jodie Foster. Matt Damon stars as Max, who lives in a completely Mexicanized Los Angeles, and is on his death throes after being exposed to radiation in a factory accident. He wants to infiltrate Elysium in order to cure himself (the residents of Elyisum has cutting edge medical technology able t o cure all ailments which is denied to the inhabitants of the Earth) and to do that he decides to work for a bunch of gangsters. Though the political undertones and the metaphors of the movies are a bit obvious, the film is entertaining and well done. Many critics have interpreted this movie as a left wing screed, but it could be easily seen as a right wing pamphlet, in which the end of civilization is blamed at the uncontrolled influx of immigrants.