Metropia (2009)

On the level of narrative and character development, Metropia (dir. Tarik Saleh) was a thin affair. The story is a simple one. The oil reserves are drained; Europe is now connected via a metro line spreading all over the continent. Festung Europa is strengthened and in the most popular game show, a lucky bastard is awarded asylum in Europe. A multinational company has developed a shampoo that contains surveillance antennae. The usual dystopian vision: ordinary Joe gradually understands that he is being monitored by Big Brother, and in dealing with this situation, he has to re-evaluate his entire life. What sets the film apart from the thousand other Orwellian sketches is the film's eerie animations - yes, this is an animated film. The film provides funereal images of an unsettling cityscape, bathing in darkness and gloom. Many scenes take place in the metro system and it is in these scenes that the film manages to engage me despite its overall flaws.