KARYN KUSAMA

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.5

USA/Germany, 2005.  Paramount Pictures, Lakeshore Entertainment, Valhalla Motion Pictures, MTV Films, MTV Productions, Colossal Pictures.  Screenplay by Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, based on characters created by Peter Chung.  Cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh.  Produced by David Gale, Gregory Goodman, Martha Griffin, Gale Anne Hurd, Gary Lucchesi.  Music by Graeme Revell.  Production Design by Andrew McAlpine.  Costume Design by Beatrix Aruna Pasztor.  Film Editing by Jeff Gull, Peter Honess, Plummy Tucker.  

Visually impressive but narratively anaemic science-fiction film about a futuristic society populated by survivors of an apocalyptic virus that wiped out ninety percent of humanity. Those left alive since the deadly outbreak live in a walled city that is viciously lorded over with an iron fist by leaders who can make citizens vanish at will. An underground rebellion sends its key assassin Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) to assassinate the city’s evil chairman (Marton Csokas), but on first attempt she fails because of a mysterious connection between him and her that she cannot understand.

She also communicates with her leader (Frances McDormand) by way of swallowing a hyper-caffeinated coffee bean, and can control the willpower of ball bearings (you know I can’t be making this shit up). The end result of the mystery is interesting, but there’s nothing more to this film than genius eye candy, and even that doesn’t hide the lack of substance effectively. Co-stars Jonny Lee Miller and Sophie Okonedo.