Wow, a District 9 vid? What a treat! And from one of my favorite vidders, even better!
I agree, the film does have its issues, though I don't think it's necessarily so nihilistic to take the view you did on it. I took the same reading, and I think that must have been intentional. There are so many films out there, sci-fi or otherwise, of the vein of Avatar, for example, that are all about the "human comes in and saves everyone" fantasy, which is quite tired. Maybe it's dark of me to admit it, but I liked that this film was willing to show the ugliness and selfishness of survival, and how fiercely people will cling to it, even when it means making terrible choices that we like to think we wouldn't necessarily duplicate. I saw a lot of split reactions after it came out in regard to whether people actually liked Wikus or not, which tells me that the narrative, if that was indeed the goal, was successful. Helped in no small part, I'm sure, but Copely's amazing performance.
Loved the vid, though that was no surprise. Thanks so much for sharing it!
And from one of my favorite vidders, even better! Wow, thank you so much! :D
I liked that this film was willing to show the ugliness and selfishness of survival Yes. YES. English language often makes it very difficult for me to express and explain perfectly what I have in mind, but that's exactly it. I liked Wikus, but not because I think he's a good person or a hero, but because he's a realistic character. And maybe yes, I even loved him because of how real and flawed he is, instead of all those standard boring stereotyped portrayals of 'heroes' we get lately in most movies. Made me think, someway, of Aliens, and all the greatly written marines in there: they are not all always heroes, they have their coward moments in the face of danger, it's how a realistic character should be.
Loved the vid, though that was no surprise. Thanks so much for sharing it! You are so welcome! :D
I liked Wikus for the same reason. He was not always easy to watch, sometimes quite uncomfortable, because characters as realistic as those act as mirrors to ourselves, and sometimes they don't always show things about ourselves as people in general that we might want to see. I liked that I left the film wondering, "Were I in his position, what would I have done?" We all know what we would like to do in that hypothetical situation, but how honest is that answer? I will always prefer characters with shades of gray, so that was definitely a refreshing journey to be taken on.
And you're most welcome. Keep up the great work! :)
""Were I in his position, what would I have done?"" Definitively a question many fanboys don't ask themselves. I doubt they'd do all Steven Seagal when in front of danger! :P The shift he goes through is fantastic, and a lot is the actor's credit for sure. I think the scene that most underlines this fact is his face in the marines' jeep when they have just caught him after he's punched Christopher unconscious. I think that's the turning point, the 'what have I done, how have i come to this' face. Just brilliant, and subtle.
Another movie of this caliber is Moon. I have just watched it (and recced it in my lj), and there Sam Rockwell who just knocks it out the park. A great actor in a wonderfully nuanced sci-fi movie. I loved it even more than this one.
Yes, I was amazed by how nuanced and thorough Copely's performance was. He just came out of nowhere! What a treat, though.
Moon is amazing! No one that I know had the chance to see it (I swear, it was in theaters for about a half second, and I only still managed to catch it on its very last night), but I keep telling people about it, because it was fantastic. I so wish it had gotten a wider release/more attention, because it deserved it.
Yay, it is! It pulls you in for the details I think, more than for the entirety of the plot (like D9, it has some flaws that detract a bit from the whole), but there are so many nice concepts explored! And I think the linearity of the plot is just not what this movie is about, it's like this underrated and intimate study on what makes humans what they are. I need to think more about the role of the machine in this (I just watched it yesterday, I have to regroup my ideas about it), but it was so GREAT how it was so much like H.A.L., or the mother-ship in Wall-E, but this one didn't turn 'evil' on Sam in the end. It decided to go around its programming, possibly consciously, to help his human charge. I mean, awesome the way it was delivered, and the 'kick me' scene had me almost in tears at the unexpected sweetness of the gesture. I could talk about this movie all day, seriously. And Sam Rockwell > chocolate.
Yes, exactly! And they were very careful with those details, which was great.
I loved GERTY for the same reason; the film overall does have a very 2001 feel to it, but the fact that they didn't actually have him turn into HAL was great. Also, the score was fantastic, I had to pick it up as soon as I came home, it's so haunting.
And yes, Sam Rockwell is indeed amazing. I couldn't help but think of him and Moon during the Oscars this year.
I agree, the film does have its issues, though I don't think it's necessarily so nihilistic to take the view you did on it. I took the same reading, and I think that must have been intentional. There are so many films out there, sci-fi or otherwise, of the vein of Avatar, for example, that are all about the "human comes in and saves everyone" fantasy, which is quite tired. Maybe it's dark of me to admit it, but I liked that this film was willing to show the ugliness and selfishness of survival, and how fiercely people will cling to it, even when it means making terrible choices that we like to think we wouldn't necessarily duplicate. I saw a lot of split reactions after it came out in regard to whether people actually liked Wikus or not, which tells me that the narrative, if that was indeed the goal, was successful. Helped in no small part, I'm sure, but Copely's amazing performance.
Loved the vid, though that was no surprise. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Reply
Wow, thank you so much! :D
I liked that this film was willing to show the ugliness and selfishness of survival
Yes. YES. English language often makes it very difficult for me to express and explain perfectly what I have in mind, but that's exactly it.
I liked Wikus, but not because I think he's a good person or a hero, but because he's a realistic character.
And maybe yes, I even loved him because of how real and flawed he is, instead of all those standard boring stereotyped portrayals of 'heroes' we get lately in most movies. Made me think, someway, of Aliens, and all the greatly written marines in there: they are not all always heroes, they have their coward moments in the face of danger, it's how a realistic character should be.
Loved the vid, though that was no surprise. Thanks so much for sharing it!
You are so welcome! :D
Reply
And you're most welcome. Keep up the great work! :)
Reply
Definitively a question many fanboys don't ask themselves. I doubt they'd do all Steven Seagal when in front of danger! :P
The shift he goes through is fantastic, and a lot is the actor's credit for sure. I think the scene that most underlines this fact is his face in the marines' jeep when they have just caught him after he's punched Christopher unconscious. I think that's the turning point, the 'what have I done, how have i come to this' face. Just brilliant, and subtle.
Another movie of this caliber is Moon. I have just watched it (and recced it in my lj), and there Sam Rockwell who just knocks it out the park. A great actor in a wonderfully nuanced sci-fi movie. I loved it even more than this one.
Reply
Moon is amazing! No one that I know had the chance to see it (I swear, it was in theaters for about a half second, and I only still managed to catch it on its very last night), but I keep telling people about it, because it was fantastic. I so wish it had gotten a wider release/more attention, because it deserved it.
Reply
And I think the linearity of the plot is just not what this movie is about, it's like this underrated and intimate study on what makes humans what they are. I need to think more about the role of the machine in this (I just watched it yesterday, I have to regroup my ideas about it), but it was so GREAT how it was so much like H.A.L., or the mother-ship in Wall-E, but this one didn't turn 'evil' on Sam in the end. It decided to go around its programming, possibly consciously, to help his human charge. I mean, awesome the way it was delivered, and the 'kick me' scene had me almost in tears at the unexpected sweetness of the gesture.
I could talk about this movie all day, seriously. And Sam Rockwell > chocolate.
Reply
I loved GERTY for the same reason; the film overall does have a very 2001 feel to it, but the fact that they didn't actually have him turn into HAL was great. Also, the score was fantastic, I had to pick it up as soon as I came home, it's so haunting.
And yes, Sam Rockwell is indeed amazing. I couldn't help but think of him and Moon during the Oscars this year.
Reply
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