To invent something innovative in the science fiction genre is currently extremely difficult, but possible. The project of Neil Blomkamp in this regard can be positioned as a spectacle with an intriguing, dynamic storyline and a very distinctive manner of presentation. All these components made "District Number 9" (front-line actors - S. Copley, D. Cope) one of the most memorable fantastic action movies of the beginning of the 21st century. The creators managed to accomplish the impossible - to remove an exciting blockbuster with a very modest by Hollywood budget of $ 30 million and unknown actors. At the same time, the cheapness of special effects does not hurt the eyes. And most importantly: the tape is interesting to watch, despite the frantic rhythm. The enchanting debut of the performer of the role of the key character Charlto Copley is an example to follow. The remaining actors of the film “District No. 9” (2009) were not debutants, although they were little known to a wide audience. Neil Blomkamp's first full-length project has an IMDb rating of 8.00.
Description of the main idea
The actors of the film “District No. 9” conscientiously implemented the idea of the director and co-author of the Blomkamp script, telling the audience the following story.
More than 20 years ago, a giant UFO appeared on the sky above Johannesburg (South Africa), on board of which refugee aliens huddled. So the African city was populated by aliens. As a result of government reforms, representatives of extraterrestrial civilization were allocated a piece of land on which they set up a temporary camp. MNU Corporation has been trying for a long time to establish contact with aliens in order to gain access to their super-technological weapons. Another operation to interact with the “mollusks” is led by agent Vikusa van der Merwa. During a random incident, he becomes infected with an extraterrestrial virus, gradually changing its DNA.
The performer who played the mollusks
The lack of star performers and significant savings on the scenery provided the authors with the opportunity to spend about 90% of the budget on visual special effects. The actors of the film “District No. 9” (2009), who played the aliens, could not perfectly convey the extraterrestrial plasticity of their movements. Therefore, aliens were painted over gray-clad suits for extras motion capture technology. The performer of all the talking “shellfish,” including alien Christopher Johnson, was Jason Cope, a South African actor, after being nominated for an Academy Award. Cope also embodied on the screen Gray Bradnam, one of the storytellers in the tape, endowed with his voice a lot of background voices, including cameraman Trent. A whole staff of professionals worked on each alien image: animators, visualizers, texture designers and fashion designers. The film "District No. 9" (2009), the actors and roles of which were undoubtedly remembered by fans of the genre, took place thanks to the joint efforts of diverse specialists.
Main character
The director invited Sharlto Copley, a childhood friend, who had previously starred with Blomkamp in the short film "Surviving in Jobburg" to play the role of a central character in his author's project. By the way, “District No. 9” was created based on its motives. Copley was not a professional actor and did not even think about building an acting career. But after the triumph of the 2009 project, Sharlto became a popular performer, his filmography was supplemented by significant paintings like “Team A”, “Oldboy”, “Maleficent” and others.
The director justified the choice of the leading actor by the fact that in his appearance he saw something extraterrestrial, similar to "mollusks". A brilliantly played transformation from a careerist and a bureaucrat who married the daughter of a boss to a half-human half-alien only proved the author’s vision of the director.
In the film "District No. 9" (2009), actors who played the roles of other characters were in the shadow of Charlto Copley. Unsurprisingly, they still had to compete with the repulsive-looking aliens, which turned out to be very realistic (even more than people). You believe in the existence of these creatures unconditionally from the moment they appear in the frame.
Verdict
Not all actors in the film "District Number 9" (2009) were as lucky as Charlto. However, Neil Blomkamp's project is considered a springboard in the rapid development of the creative career of not only Copley, but also other actors. A harmonious combination of a non-standard view of aliens, convincing graphics and the theme of illegal migrants and blatant xenophobia, which is close to every megalopolis of the Earth, is what the critics and the audience liked the blockbuster for.