Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Charlize Theron; Marton Csokas
Æon Flux is a scifi dystopian action film starring Charlize Theron and a bunch of That Guys that is loosely based on the 90s MTV show of the same name. It is set some 400 years in the future where mankind has been reduced to a husk of its former glory due to some badass virus hitting the reset button on human evolution. Life is pretty swell for most of the inhabitants of this pastoral metropolis, some minor exceptions notwithstanding. People tend to disappear, suddenly die, or suffer from severely mysterious nightmares on the regular. And all the local leadership cares about is consolidating its total power even though life is pretty good for everyone when you think about it. Still, people are suffering or something. Guess we should do something about that. Hey, here’s Charlize Theron in a slinky slip. You’re welcome.
This movie is nothing special, being the typical smorgasbord of mid-aughts kung fu neck chopping, gun-blazing extravaganza that it is. I am intrigued by its use of color–Æon Flux has a wonderful palette and the cinematographers take full advantage of Charlize’s kung-fu-emo look in terms of scene composition and set design. It is clearly *her* movie because of this; the attention to detail is immaculate and polished, like a modeling reel.
I also like the warm, accessible look of everything. Usually when I think of post-apocalyptic post-human Earth I think of drab grays and gross clothes. And yet beauty is all over Æon Flux. The [very very minor] problem I find with all Charlize all the time is that her presence holds the other actors (and a script that doesn’t take any chances) to some pretty lofty standards. She’s so hot it’s distracting; it’s also a hypothetical reason why the film isn’t very faithful to its subject matter. This is not me saying that Æon Flux is a terrible movie. It shows us how capable Ms. Theron can be as an Action Girl and I appreciate that.
ThomFiles 