Natalie Portman Oscar Isaac Jennifer Jason
Leigh Gina
Rodriguez Tessa
Thompson
Think about mixing the surreal and mysterious
with real human drama within a glorious visual spectacle, and you can envision Annihilation. Alex Garland has drawn on his previous experience with Ex Machina and plunged ahead with
another futuristic presentation of humans confronting what may or may not be an
alarming future. He has the
ability to balance the fantastic with the real so that one can buy into his
dramas. They seem otherworldly,
yet something we can imagine really happening. Part of the success of his work is in giving clues from the
beginning that will inform the viewer later in trying to explain what
transpires later.
We’re first confronted with a puzzling
interrogation of biologist Lena (Portman) by a military person in a hazmat suit
(Benedict Wong). He’s asking her
who-what-when kinds of questions, the answer to which she says, “I don’t know”
or “I can’t remember.” She appears
to be a little dense, but this is one of the nicely misleading cues that
Garland does so well. He does let
us know she is a respected biologist at John Hopkins University.
We soon see Lena’s missing husband Kane (Isaac)
who appears suddenly after such a long absence she thinks he has died. Although we learn that he has been
involved in a covert operation, he doesn’t have many answers and seems very
different from his old self. But
then abruptly he shows signs of a medical condition, which involves calling
emergency services.
More drama ensues, after which we see Lena
volunteering to explore a new phenomenon that has occurred on earth called “the
shimmer.” Her team is led by
psychologist Dr. Ventress (Leigh), and includes three other female
scientists. They will follow in
the steps of other military people who have explored the region, but never came
back, except for one. This is a
group of very brave women (nice to see!) who have no ties at home (“We’re all
damaged goods here”), and for various reasons want to find a scientific
explanation for The Shimmer, which “swallowed up” the military’s Southern
Reach.
This is where the real adventure begins, with
the expected strains on loyalty and mental balance, in confronting threats
never before imagined. It was especially
gratifying to see a female character (Lena) having such deep curiosity,
determination, and clear-headedness that she is able to confront whatever is
before her, without becoming unhinged or allowing images from the past to
distract her.
Finally, the electrically charged ending leaves
the viewer with possibilities rather than a neat package.
This is a film not to miss for its
thrills, human drama, and eloquently presented futuristic possibilities.
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