The Host - by El

After Stephanie Meyer's abominable vampiric juggernaut I had no expectations when the movie adaptation of her second major work 'The Host' was announced. However, the Sci-Fi premise was intriguing, and with accomplished actor Saoirse Ronan inhabiting the duel main role and with Gattaca genius Andrew Niccol in the director's set, I decided to risk it.

I was not disappointed.
The Host is a quiet and disquieting movie about our forced occupation by an advanced race, known individually as 'Souls'. As part of their interplanetary expansion they arrived on our little blue planet and have nearly completed their goal of of total "merger"with their unwilling human hosts. The Souls believe they bring peace, cooperation and a perfect health system to our barbaric population. However, a handful of humans refuse to be assimilated and have avoided capture, holed up in a convenient and clever hideout. The concept of an intelligent, ephemeral parasite is fascinating and raises many interesting points, some of which are explored during the the film. The strength of the concept, gorgeous art direction and strong lead cast compensate for some lack lustre dialogue and Meyer's unimaginative naming protocol. In weaker hands this movie might have gone the way of the Twilight saga, but the cinematography, styling, direction and performances were classy and strong.
The internal struggle between two strong wills within the body of host Melanie Stryder is deftly handled by the very talented Ronan, who engages the audience with her unique love quadrangle. Other standouts are William Hurt as Uncle Jeb, Jake Abel's Ian, a splendid performance by young Chandler Canterbury as Melanie's kid brother and Diane Kruger whose twisted Soul is driven to aggression unbecoming of her race.

While the concept of The Host is deep if you chose to follow the philosophical passageways, the movie itself is quite simple - but it works. We immediately understand the ideas and the consequences of such an invasion, and hopefully are reminded of the rise and demise of the colonial conquests in humanity's own bloody history. The symbiotic characters Melanie & Wanda are sympathetic and strong, so we invest in them both equally and follow their touching journey to a satisfying end.
However, what I took from The Host is colonisation from the view of the invader, which is unusual in science fiction. We usually learn to fear the colonists, especially those who "come in peace", with stories playing out on the side of the oppressed, who inevitably defeat the far more advanced aliens and send them packing. 'District 9' took the alien's view, but from a dehumanised, Apartheid perspective.Stephanie Meyer has proposed that while free-will is a right we should fight for, this spirit we like to claim as uniquely human, might not be exclusively so. 3.5 stars.