Movie Review: Best Picture Nominee District 9 (3 of 10)

Each day this week, we will be having capsule reviews of 2 of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture. They will be featured in the official, alpabetical order.

District 9 was released in theatres on August 14th, and came to DVD on December 29th. We have not previously published reviews of this title.

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District 9 Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

District 9 is made in the gritty, realistic style of a documentary, and serves as a harsh metaphor for South Africa during the Apartheid era. As a film, it is immensely satisfying, right down to the bittersweet and heartbreaking final image.

Despite the graphic-grossness of some of the scenes, District 9 is a thought-provoking and incredibly entertaining piece of contemporary science-fiction. It’s hard to believe this is only director Neil Blomkamp’s first feature film.

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District 9 Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

I found District 9 to be a very thought provoking film, and an even better one than I had expected. The aliens, though not appealing look-wise actually become characters that you care about, making the story not just one that you watch, but one that you are invested in. From the opening scene to the last shot, this film had a story to tell. In some ways, it actually reminded me of Avatar, although I found it to be far stronger in it's execution.

District 9 is a great film from a first time director, which makes me definitely interested to see what he does next. Though the gross graphicness will be a reason for some to not want to see it, for those who can handle it, this film is well worth it. Deserving of it's spot in the '10'.

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District 9 Review By Tony

**** (out of 4)

N/A

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Consensus: An incredibly entertaining sci-fi film, and an amazing achievement from first-time director Neil Blomkamp. Though District 9 is not going to win Best Picture, it is certainly very deserving of its nomination. **** (Out of 4)