Elysium (2013)

4/5

Neill Blomkamp's Elysium will, of course, draw comparisons to the director's previous work, District 9, since both are sci-fi action movies employing hyper-realistic special effects, cinema verité-style camerawork, and plots that play like morality tales about the maltreatment and subjugation of a population's citizens. While the combination of all those things felt exhilarating and unprecedented 5 years ago, here they feel a bit tired.

Elysium, like District 9 and Children of Men, delivers a precisely-detailed and complexly-envisioned future. But the characters with which it inhabits that world are unexciting; their quest is uncompelling; the stakes are underwhelming. It is not enough for the background to be thematically interesting, because the foreground is what will get our blood pumping and bring us to our feet cheering. Instead the story feels like a pretty barebones excuse for fights and explosions. Luckily, the (rather sparse) action is exceptional, leaps and bounds better than most of what we are seeing in theaters today. Some scenes are so visually arresting, so stunningly beautiful, that they seem somehow operatic and timeless. That they are simultaneously violently graphic and viscerally horrifying does not diminish their value, but simply brands them in our minds.

Elysium is ultimately not as good as District 9. While perhaps more technically impressive than his previous work, it needed a stronger story to unlock all the potential it had. What frustrates me is that we know Blomkamp can do better. And I sincerely hope he pulls through on the next one, because I love watching his movies.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/

Milk (2008)

4/5

Gus Van Sant's Milk tells the incredibly powerful true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major public office in San Francisco during the 70's. With flawless editing and pacing, Van Sant seamlessly integrates new footage with historical footage to fully engulf you in the feel and mood of the times. The acting is tender, honest, and subdued, fitting in perfectly with the documentary realism of the film. The portrayal of the homosexual community is equally sympathetic and genuine--and enlightening and moving to all who are not members of the community. Thanks to the eloquent writing, I could feel their pain, their struggle, and their elation at every small step towards equality.

Milk is more than a simple movie; it is a cry for help and an argument for social justice. But by entrenching itself so firmly in a specific time and place, and for a specific cause, it loses a bit of its universal appeal. Harvey Milk constantly emphasized that his movement was for homosexuals, not civil rights as a whole. Regardless, gay rights will undoubtedly remain a relevant issue for most of the rest of my life. And for that, I am grateful that I saw this movie. I'm not sure of its replay value, but I highly recommend you see Milk if you haven't already.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013753/

Y tu mamá también (2001)

4/5

Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también tells the stunning, unforgettable emotional journey of two young Mexicans on a road trip with a sexy older woman. It is both a tender, funny coming-of-age drama and an exploratory character study of a woman who chooses to join these boys and teach them to mature--both sexually and as human beings--for reasons of her own. Suffice it to say, there are some secrets that are revealed during the journey that explore the characters and their motivations, adding unexpected layers to already complex characters.

As in Children of Men, this movie contains several evocative long tracking shots. Here they are used often during sex scenes and, in my opinion, serve the purpose of deglamorizing the kind of pornographic sex we see in Hollywood movies. They add to the reality and rawness inherent in life that is often lost during filming and editing. Other directorial choices make strong impressions on me as well. There is voice-over narration, but not the lazy, plot point-revealing narration that pisses me off. The choice of what information is and is not revealed through narration fascinates me. It seems to tell a completely different story, about the new, poverty-stricken Mexico that many remain unexposed to.

The performances by all parties are incredible, more than believable, and the other technical aspects are more than competent (although not in any way exceptional). And yet, despite all these positive aspects I find while analyzing the movie, it just didn't fully affect me. I was touched, but not moved. I was impressed, but not awestruck. How universal are the themes? Am I just watching a technically-adequate movie, or does it apply to my life in some way? How does it change me? I can't say it does, but to the sexually confused and/or Mexicans who can get more out of this work of art than I can, I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0245574/