Episode 338: District 9

Went to Causeway Point to catch District 9 with Eugene Chan and Jared, since I was meeting Sarah and Yee Hung there at 7 pm anyway to discuss the script. I absolutely loved the film, even if Sharlto Copley's character's swearing seemed a shade excessive at times. (Apparently, he improvised all of his dialogue.) It's pretty obvious that the first half of the film, shot in the style of a mockumentary, is inspired by apartheid. As it moves along though, the story narrows down to one man's struggle to preserve his identity, even as he is doomed to lose it with each hour that passes. Possibly more blood and gore than is strictly necessary, but at least the M18 rating will keep out the kids who just want to be entertained by mindless violence. Here's a random factoid for you: the aliens are known as 'prawns' in the film, not because they resemble crunchy seafood, but because they resemble a species of king cricket known in South Africa as the Parktown prawn. Overall, I would say that Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut is a cut above the fare that Hollywood dishes out every summer, and with an ending that leaves open the tantalising possibility of a sequel, this is one film worth paying to see.