Metropia (2009)

A complex story of a misaligned man, though good intent, creating a nightmarish Dystopian existence.

Director:

Tarik Saleh

Writers:

Fredrik Edin (idea), Fredrik Edin (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Udo Kier

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Gallo	...	Roger Olofsson (voice)
Juliette Lewis	...	Nina (voice)
Udo Kier	...	Ivan Bahn (voice)
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Ralph Parker (voice)
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Stefan (voice)
Sofia Helin	...	Anna Svensson (voice)
Shanti Roney	...	Karl (voice)
Fares Fares	...	Firaz (voice)
Fredrik Eddari	...	Mehmet (voice)
Doreen Månsson	...	Asylum TV-Hostess (voice)
Indy Neidell	...	Wayne Marshal (voice)
Joanna Mikolajczyk	...	The Metro (voice) (as Joanna Zofia Bard Mikolajczyk)
Goran Marjanovic	...	Asylum Seeker (voice)
Magnus Skogsberg	...	Roger's Boss (voice) (as Magnus Skogsberg Tear)
Lotta Bromé	...	News Anchor (voice)

Storyline

In the near future, oil reserves are nearly depleted and Europe is connected by series of underground tunnels. While navigating these tunnels, Roger hears voices, one in particular. Seeking a way to rid himself of the voice only leads Roger deeper into a bizarre conspiracy of control - mind and body.

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Plot Keywords:

conspiracy | surveillance | metro | mind control | shampoo | 

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Taglines:

Someone is listening to your thoughts

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Sweden Denmark Norway

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 2009 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Метропия

Box Office

Budget:

SEK 32,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atmo Media Network, Canal Television AB, Film i Väst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

German word (die) Bahn means rail (way) in English.

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Goofs

Just before the Hello Kitty bomb explodes, Selma the Fish is still on Stefan's desk in her tank. Roger had taken both fish and tank a few minutes earlier when he left.

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Connections

Referenced in Stockholms 20th International Film Festival (2009)

User Reviews

Simple but fascinating

Take a trip to Europe in the year 2024. This is a dark age, where the automobile is no longer in use, replaced by a cross country subway system. The most popular product on the market (in fact pretty much the only item) is a shampoo manufactured with a secret mind controlling chemical, which the major corporations use to monitor the public in George Orwell fashion.

In an age where animation can do anything, the decision to do almost nothing certainly stands out in film. Metropia is without doubt the bleakest animated feature I know; a murky institutional world, without a drop of color or sunshine, and everywhere we go is under lit. This makes enough sense when taking into account that this is a future where society is low on energy.

Not everything however feels credible. The absence of people in great numbers is unusual. The few people who do wander in and out of frame are almost hollow shells. They have no soul, but more importantly they have no movement. Metropia uses the least amount of energy possible to give life to illustrations. To attempt to describe it is not impossible, but it's something that is better off seen for ones self. Metropia is a haunting experience. It's almost a ghost world, not just from the absence of sight, but from the absence of sound. Metropia makes effective use of silence in all the right places, accompanied by an effective, very new age score.

As for the storyline, it is familiar, but not painfully so. It's similar to Brazil, which itself is the product of George Orwell's influence. The climax here feels a bit rushed, and easy, leaving Metropia a bit shorter than I think it should've been, but it remains an entertaining experiment.