Director Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up to his audacious debut District 9 hasn’t quite the same edge or freshness, but it’s still a well-crafted, entertaining piece of sci-fi with enough political subtext about healthcare to upset the American right.

In the future, the Earth is massively overpopulated and polluted. To maintain their way of life, the rich elite dwell on a gigantic, luxurious space station called Elysium. The rest of humanity remains on Earth where life is very tough, particularly for those who need medical treatment. On Elysium are medical pods that can cure any ill, but such technology is prohibited on Earth.

When reformed petty criminal Max (Matt Damon) gets radiation poisoning in an accident at the robot factory where he works, he is given five days to live. With nothing left to lose, he agrees to assist a criminal resistance in exchange for help breaking into Elysium where he can be cured. To do this, he grafts a cybernetic exoskeleton to his body so that 1) he doesn’t keel over and die in the interim, and 2) he can fight the robots and cybernetic agents of the elite. One agent in particular called Kruger (Sharlto Copely) is exceedingly nasty and complicates matters by kidnapping Max’s childhood sweetheart Frey (Alice Braga) and her terminally ill daughter. Complicating matters further is a conspiracy within the political elite on Elysium involving their military leader Delacourt (Jodie Foster) that could unravel the entire system and bring about revolution.

Performances are all fine (particularly Copely who is very scary), but Max’s transformation into a kind of cybernetic messiah ought to have more emotional punch than it does. Instead, the plot becomes increasingly predictable, especially in the final act. The film is admittedly exciting, and the special effects are fantastic, but a little more work on the script could have rendered it great rather than merely good. All that said, Blomkamp has a great visual eye, and with adjusted expectations the film delivers the goods.

Politically this is surprisingly bold stuff for Hollywood. The American healthcare allegories are crystal clear, and for anyone like me who is heartily sick of right wing American ravings about “socialised medicine”, this is a powerful affirmation of why healthcare for all is so important. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with basic human compassion. It is a social responsibility and therefore should be funded by all for the benefit of all, not for the benefit of insurance and pharmaceutical companies. That message may be delivered with oversimplified belligerence but nuance be damned. Every so often films ought to get angry, and this is an issue worth getting angry about.

I should probably add the usual warning about swearing and violence for those who appreciate such things, but nothing seemed inappropriate given the context. In the end Elysium isn’t the great film I was hoping for, but it is certainly a good one.

The legendary Alan Partridge returns, this time on the big screen. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa could have been a case of one trip too many to the same comedy well, and after the massively successful radio and television series, a medium too far. Thankfully that is not the case. Alpha Papa is hilarious.

Alan (Steve Coogan) is working at North Norfolk Digital hosting radio show “Mid Morning Matters”, when the station is acquired in a corporate takeover. Upon discovering his new bosses are either going to get rid of him or Colm Meaney’s country and western DJ Pat Farrell, Alan urges the management to “just sack Pat”. Unfortunately, Pat doesn’t take kindly to being fired and a hostage crisis ensues – a siege in which Alan finds himself negotiating on behalf of the police.

Taking its cue from classic siege dramas like Dog Day Afternoon, The Negotiator and Inside Man, director Declan Lowney gives Alpha Papa a little cinematic flair that enhances the black comedy. There’s even a hilarious line about the Iranian Embassy siege being Alan’s “all time favourite siege”.

Here Alan has evolved a little, perhaps becoming a tiny bit more sympathetic. He’s given a love interest of sorts and even attempts to be politically correct. For instance, in one highly amusing early scene he berates a fellow presenter for making a joke about Islam, saying to only make jokes about Christianity, or Judaism a little bit. But he’s still essentially the same gaffe-prone, petty narcissist we all know and love to cringe at.

A few other characters from the TV series return, including long suffering PA Lynn (Felicity Montagu) and inept Geordie security guard Michael (Simon Greenall). They have a couple of good moments, but the core of the comedy is Coogan. Whether miming along to Roachford or delivering highly quotable one-liners (“jingle genocide”, “siege face” and so on), Alan Partridge remains a classic comedy creation.

Amid the comedy there is some attempt at satirising corporate ghastliness drowning the personalities of radio DJs (including interminable corporate slogans such as “living the brand”). There is even a moment when Lynn quotes the Bible to Alan when he milks his role in the siege for all the publicity it is worth, warning that he may gain the world but lose his soul. Alan’s response? He’s not selling his soul – he’s just renting it for lots of money on a long term basis.

There is some bad language and one or two cruder elements, but Partridge fans will no doubt take such things in their stride. As for those poor deprived audiences totally unfamiliar with the character, they might initially be somewhat bemused, but in the end they will probably enjoy Alpha Papa too.

Despicable Me was good silly fun. Despicable Me 2 is more of the same and almost as good.

The plot sees dastardly ubervillain turned adoptive father Gru recruited by the AVL (Anti-Villain-League) to stop another villain who has stolen a top secret Arctic laboratory along with several of Gru’s minions for genetic experimentation. He is reluctantly teamed up with AVL agent Lucy Wilde, and of course at first he doesn’t like her but slowly… You get the picture.

Directors Pierre Louis Padang Coffin (bit of a mouthful) and Chris Renaud maintain much the same look and feel as the original, and the vocal talents of Steve Carrell, Kirstin Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Steve Coogan and Russell Brand are put to good use. It isn’t exactly a spoiler to say that whereas the first Despicable Me was about the orphans getting a father, this is about them gaining a mother. But in spite of predictability this is good solid fun; nicely animated and scripted, with enough daft gags involving the minions to keep the children happy whilst entertaining the adults with jokes about dating.

In short: colourful and cheerful summer holiday fun.

Simon Dillon, August 2013.

Director James Wan’s latest film The Conjuring is terrifying audiences across the pond. It has won both critical acclaim and box office, with many dubbing it the horror event of the year. Now it has opened in the UK, I’ve had a chance to see what all the fuss is about. On the whole, I wasn’t disappointed.

Regular readers will know I am a staunch defender of horror films as having tremendous potential for creative evangelism. I have stated this position numerous times to Christians who dismiss the entire genre as ungodly. The Conjuring provides yet more evidence in favour of my argument. It is a thrillingly scary haunted house pic with a full-on Christian worldview that all but states: There is a God. There is a Devil. Pick sides. In a way, it is the cinematic equivalent of a hellfire sermon.

The plot is apparently based on a true story, but as usual these things are best taken with a sack of salt. Real life Catholic paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren, here portrayed by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, investigate one of their most notorious cases – a haunting in Rhode Island that was supposedly so disturbing that they’ve kept the story under lock and key until now. To say too much more will spoil the twists and turns of this armchair gripping, stomach-in-knots scare ride.

It is great to finally see Vera Farmiga in a well deserved lead role after her supporting parts in films like Source Code and Up in the Air. Both she and Wilson really come across well as the Warrens, and it’s wonderful to see such a sympathetic portrayal of what could easily have degenerated into parody. The supporting cast playing the terrorised family – including Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston – also contribute fine turns, but it is unquestionably Farmiga who dominates proceedings.

This is James Wan’s best film to date. His use of sound in particular is extremely clever, and whilst he does employ every cliché in the book – including behind-you moments and jumps – they are orchestrated with flair and are very effective. Wan understands that in a film of this nature extreme gore makes things less scary not more, so the restraint shown is admirable. Additionally there is no sex or excessive bad language to artificially spice things up, just a great deal of what the BFFC calls “strong horror”. In the US, it was strong enough to be given an R rating on scares alone.

Some Christian audiences will moan about the theology, which in fairness is all over the place. Personally I don’t think that matters one iota. For one thing, this is a story not a theological teaching. Furthermore, the purpose of a scary movie with an unapologetic Christian worldview is to get the audience to consider that if demonic activity is real then God is also real. As I left the cinema I overheard many conversations to that effect, with some even saying to their friends “I must ask so-and-so about that, he’s a Christian”. Bottom line: as a means of getting people to think about spiritual matters, the film succeeded.

The other reason some Christians will remain unconvinced is because of a sadly widespread belief that the entire horror genre is inherently evil. Yes, obviously in a film like this the power of evil is (rightly) exaggerated for dramatic effect. But the all-horror-films-are-bad mantra is a case of people making a theology out of personal preference. Some people Christian or otherwise simply don’t like to watch scary movies, which is completely fair enough. This film is not for them. But I see nothing wrong with enjoying the macabre mechanics of a well told scary story, especially one made from a Christian perspective that effectively treats the horror audience as a mission field rather than a subculture to be shunned.

Ultimately The Conjuring is a well above average entry in the genre. It draws favourable comparison with previous entries in cinema’s haunted house canon such as the original version of The Haunting, The Innocents, The Orphanage, The Woman in Black and The Others. However, unlike some of the afore-mentioned, the ghosts do not turn out to be frustrated but ultimately benevolent spirits of the departed. They are absolutely evil and can only be defeated by the power of God. That this message is at the core of The Conjuring is something to be celebrated.