28 Days Later... it was still a great film

Let me begin this review, as I did the last one, with a question: Do you like zombie movies? If yes, fantastic, you should love this film. If not, go see it any- way, if like horror or suspense of any kind, or even just a well written and plotted movie, they you'll really enjoy this. 28

Days Later... is written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle, and stars Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris. Now, I'm willing to bet that those names don't mean much to any of you, but hey, I give credit where credit is due, and these people are quite deserving.

First off, let's look at the story of the movie: The premise behind it is a little bit hokey; scientists have figured out that rage is actually a communicable disease, and have infected monkeys with it. The disease is spread through contact with infected blood, which apparently the infected can vomit onto their victims. A trio of animal rights activists break into the lab to save the contagious primates, only to become infect- ed themselves. From there, it's inside of a hospital room, staring at Jim (Cillian Murphy). He's been in a coma for the passed 4 weeks, and as he staggers from the hospital, he becomes aware that something has gone amiss during his month long sleep, namely, there's nobody left in London. He does eventually run across more people, but things look bleak in jolly London, and survival becomes the watch word as the bearers of the infection move in on our erstwhile hero.

Yes, the story plays out like quite a few other films, mostly zombie movies at that, but that's not to say it's bad in any way. The movie itself is very reminiscent of various other films plagued by the rotting dead. In fact, the only thing that separates it from those other movies is that the infected are still, technically, alive. It's kind of hard to tell, especially with all the blood on .:page [12] October 13, 2003:.

them, but they are apparently supposed to be living, breathing, wicked furious, human beings. Fundamentally, the difference between living and dead in this comparison really isn't much of one. The antagonists are some similar to zombies that calling them anything else seems weird.

As with most good films like this one, the focus is not so much on the antag- onists as the survivors. The actors do a fan- tastic job playing up the tension that comes up as a result of continuously looking over your shoulder. Every shred of hope is sought after with the same feverish desire that the infected themselves bring to bear. At more than one point in the movie, you almost have to wonder who is diseased, and who is simply enraged.

Another fine point is the use of action. The action is this movie is not like that of most films out now. Instead of being wild and fiery, with lots of gun play and witty remarks, it's cold, bloody, and harsh. The few guns in this film are basically useless, leaving most of the death in it to be enact- ed by a machete, a bat, or simple fists. Needless to say, this leads to quite a lot of thick, red blood being splattered around. Unlike most slasher. films though, the blood actually splatters and splashes like a likely contained fluid, instead of spraying out like paint from a can. This is refreshing in the fact that it shows an eye for realism on the part of Mr. Boyle, and disturb- ing in how realistic it does seem. As well,

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some of kills get different responses with this type of cold, close-in violence. Instead of the audience cheering when the hero kills the villain, as would have likely been the case if he'd used a gun, the brutally used causes the audience to sit in shocked dismay and consider exactly what has just transpired. Any time a film causes the audi- ence to actually think is a fine credit indeed.

In the end there is very little bad about this film. Acting, cinematography, action, plot, it's all very well done. The only real thing that hurts it is that it is sort of a "mood" movie. If you aren't in the mood for a dark, creeping film that takes an interesting look at modern society, don't go see it. If you are, or you're just in the mood for something artistic, entertaining, and engaging, then you should in enjoy. Have a good night folks, and treat yourself to a good film once in awhile.

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