Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: COLONY [Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France]
The aspect of biological containment versus the essence of a virus is always the cornerstone of a good zombie movie. But as other films have shown before, it is about environment and the hive mind. By setting a breakout inside a high rise, one creates a restriction basis in terms of how you motivate the characters to do what they need to do. "Colony" [Midnight/Out Of Competition] begins with a biologic professor at a conference with her ex-husband trying to get a new gig for the next jump in technology. Of course like all films of this ilk, the CEO screwed over his head of tech creating an essence for revenge. The start off point is relatively simple but it also speaks to the way ants react in terms of orders and reaction. The lower levels of the building are affected first before the structure goes into lockdown. While the bloodletting starts early on, the evolution of communication among the infected, mostly done through the stunt work/extras, pretty well encompasses the path especially when they start to upload and share communicated thoughts (think the Borg). The lead professor knows what is going on and comes together with a band of survivors including some kids, a shop owner, his wife and a teenager to try and survive.
The structure of the narrative is fairly straightforward once she starts understanding what the virus does. The MO in play states that they are required to kill #1 or isolate him which is very specifically shown in a flashback. It is made very clear that this is the only way anyone will be allowed out (or rescued) as the people in the building are cut off effectively in quarantine. The film progresses as rats in a maze as well as a war of wills between two women: the ex wife and the current wife in terms of blame. But this is a zombie movie. That said, the eventual control factor comes off as a little too conventional especially considering the engineering. One great concept which is used nicely and figures into the eventual climax is the notion of smell and the zombies being able to differentiate between dead and undead, friend and foe. Like "Gremlins 2" but a little less tongue-in-cheek, "Colony" eventually spills out. The bedlam outside looks a little different in the dark though the intrepid professor finally figures a solution which leads to a very clear visual. “Colony” is effective and plays in the genre sandbox well without reinventing the wheel. But, as usual, it is South Korean skill and tonality that creates a slick and entertaining vehicle. B
By Tim Wassberg
