District 9
Ok I have a love hate relationship with this movie. The first 45 minutes irritated me out of my skin.
It was reminiscent of the ‘old – first try’ South African movies. Felt like really bad acting. One of the reasons I stopped going to watch them years ago. Even if you are acting like you can’t act – you should be able to act. Then again maybe I just have a thing about making South Africans – especially an Afrikaner with an English accent sound dumb.
Then as I got into the story I began to wonder if this was just a spoof on the political situation in South Africa hidden behind a sci-fi saucer and a few prawn-look-alike characters, that at first glance looked like their costumes were made from papier-mâché.
Later when it converted to something from a ‘transformer’ comic book, I began to think this guy has just mixed and matched everything he has been exposed to and come up with a rather poorly acted movie.
But give it some credit – it highlighted in a few places man’s inhumanity to anyone who does not fit their profile of what they expect. How easily we attack something we do not understand and how easily we ‘shoot first and ask questions later’. Maybe it was just too close to the truth that formed part of my life in the apartheid era to be enjoyable and just to sit back and relax and watch the movie. I felt sickened by what is happening in our country at the moment and other places worldwide as well - after all not all aliens are extraterrestrial. Overall not a bad movie - for the night out. I would give it a 4 out of 6.
Then as I got into the story I began to wonder if this was just a spoof on the political situation in South Africa hidden behind a sci-fi saucer and a few prawn-look-alike characters, that at first glance looked like their costumes were made from papier-mâché.
Later when it converted to something from a ‘transformer’ comic book, I began to think this guy has just mixed and matched everything he has been exposed to and come up with a rather poorly acted movie.
But give it some credit – it highlighted in a few places man’s inhumanity to anyone who does not fit their profile of what they expect. How easily we attack something we do not understand and how easily we ‘shoot first and ask questions later’. Maybe it was just too close to the truth that formed part of my life in the apartheid era to be enjoyable and just to sit back and relax and watch the movie. I felt sickened by what is happening in our country at the moment and other places worldwide as well - after all not all aliens are extraterrestrial. Overall not a bad movie - for the night out. I would give it a 4 out of 6.
Conversations with God [DVD shop Golden Oldie]
Ok this one I will have to rewatch. Set in the past, present and future of a mans life, with these three timezones intertwining each other, left me rather exhausted trying to work out if this was something happening to him now, if it was a backflash, or something in his future, or if it just worked on the platform of reincarnation.
One thing that really got to me, was when he digs in the dustbins looking for tins and eventually food. This hit a raw nerve as we have people like this in our streets everyday, and in South Africa its getting worse as the economic crises oozes down to the grass-roots of humanity. This movie and District 9 had similarities when it comes to how man treats others of his own kind or those who he perceives to be 'different'.
As I watched, I just wished none of it were true, I enjoy fantasy but in both movies this was reality disguised as fantasy. Both District 9 and Conversations with God - made me feel uncomfortable for those portraying these 'street people' and the slums that are part and parcel of my day to day living. Both made me revisit my own thoughts and how I treat others that are 'different to me'. Both had a strong message to reach out - so from now on I feed all the 'aliens' and 'beggars' at my gate, and just hope that what ever is buried in my cellar, stays buried. LOL
