L'évaluation

Where are all of the reviews for this movie?! And why is it criminally underrated? Aren't we all tired of superhero popcorn flicks and ready for more movies with actual depth like this?

Now I know why Elizabeth Olsen has been playing in superhero crap roles lately. It's so that she could do this. "One for them, one for me" as they say. This is by far her best work. You can tell she worked so hard on this, physically, emotionally, she sold it. Apart from being the fittest and yet most feminine she's ever looked, she had this grace as her character that was so believable and not phoned in, especially her comedic moments like the first dining scene. She made it feel so real. Everyone did a fantastic job in this, especially Minnie Driver, who was a pleasant surprise with a great monologue, but Elizabeth outshined them all.

I'm not sure if I could watch this again with how intense it was, and knowing the ending. But this is one movie that should be seen by all. It's a smart, well written, emotionally nuanced and psychological thriller that should make you think. Yes it's Hollywood so they found a way to fit climate change in there, but it's also sci fi that feels meaningful, and actually possible rather than preachy. It actually left me wanting even more back story, though there was plenty.

Thank you to the writers, director and actors. Keep them coming.

I was skeptical about watching this movie. I've been on a movie-marathon this summer & this is one of the movies you wouldn't want to miss!

Elizabeth Olsen surprises me every time. I believe she's one of the few actresses who can actually give an astounding performance in almost any genre.

Alicia Vikander, we've missed you. As I was watching 'The assessment', I couldn't help but remember 'Ex machina' where Alicia also starred in and had a similar genre.

I wanted more from this movie. I wanted more tragedy. More twists. More turmoil. This movie did indeed end shockingly. Hoping for a sequel!

It often feels like we're constantly being assessed, evaluated on everything from our creditworthiness to our work performance to our scholastic achievements. But imagine what it might be like if we were scrutinized on highly personal matters, with intrusive investigations into our most highly intimate concerns. Such is life in director Fleur Fortune's debut feature in a dystopian version of Earth of the future. With the planet devastated by environmental decline, human society has been drastically reorganized into the old world and the new world. The former is a pathetic wasteland where individuals struggle to live out short lives under horrific conditions. The latter, meanwhile, is a sanctuary for the fortunate, with clean air, clean water and a comfortable way of life, but there's a trade-off: Residents must abide by litany of stringent laws, rules and regulations in which they're under constant assessment, including in matters of their so-called private lives, where the risk of being reassigned to the old world looms for even the smallest of violations. This intensive surveillance involves essentially everything, including such basic considerations as the ability to have children, a strictly regulated undertaking for which would-be parents are rigorously evaluated by government-appointed assessors on their qualifications to assume this role. So it is for Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel), a couple looking to become one of the privileged, who are placed under the microscope by their evaluator, Virginia (Alicia Vikander). The assessor takes up residence with the couple for a week to scrutinize their suitability, engaging in rounds of intensive questioning, role playing exercises and other unannounced tests to see if they meet the requisite standards. But are they up to it? The process pushes the limits of the couple's coping abilities, exposes long-hidden secrets and pushes the envelope of their tolerance levels for their circumstances, all in the name (supposedly) of determining whether they would make acceptable parents. And, as the evaluation unfolds, it raises questions about whether the assessment is truly everything it appears to be. This inventive social sci-fi offering raises an array of probing, thoughtful questions, both for the characters, as well as audience members, particularly where matters of personal privacy and societal judgmentalism are concerned. The narrative is purposely designed to keep viewers guessing, placing them squarely in the shoes of the protagonists and nudging them to ask themselves what would they do under conditions like these. It's an approach that generally keeps us hooked as the story plays out, despite some occasional lapses in pacing and a few sequences in which the action feels a little over the top (especially in the role playing segments). But the payoff is ultimately worth it, one that makes us question whether the constant evaluations to which we're subjected in today's society are everything they're allegedly cracked up to be. This German production with dialogue in English is an intriguing examination of what we allow ourselves to be put through to see if we measure up to expectations that ultimately aren't necessarily our own, particularly in matters that fundamentally aren't anyone else's business. Think about that the next time you feel you're being unduly judged, a consideration that's taken on new weight in today's day and age - and that this cautionary tale might be giving us a preview of what could possibly lie ahead.

Given the rating that was 6.9 at the time, I expected much better than I received. In short, You're told that the world has split into two. One where the air is purified somehow and the old which was soiled. Almost nothing is told about this process and the film tries to stick to just one issue. People are limited to having no children unless given permission. An assessor will come to the house to determine whether a child may be produced. In comes Alicia vikander.

She then proceeds to act like a child for much of the rest of the movie. At times it is incredibly silly and not believable. The actors do a fantastic job in selling the concept, but but she goes in and out of character at times that you don't know which version she is and the characters are understandably confused. Some of the reactions of the adults supposedly treating a child are understandable because they aren't dealing with a child. The test is inherently itself, not fair but you're asked to go along with it. But there was one absolutely ridiculous test, in which the answer is blatantly obvious to everyone but the tested person. Perhaps they thought it was a good idea on paper but it was executed so painfully that it was difficult to watch. There are also many holes in this script.

Minnie driver steals the show in the one scene that she appears. But in the end, which is rushed badly, you get to find out some answers which is standard dystopia. I didn't find redeeming qualities about this film whatsoever. The moral of the story is raising children can be a difficult experience. And the rest of the science fiction element is completely unexplored. It's only there to create cool effects and provide a reason for the assessment.

I completely admire the fine performances by the actors. But this bit of silliness is 2 hours of time. I really wish I had back. If you're a fan of frilly artistic portrayal with lots of diversity as part of our future, you might appreciate this. But it is completely superficial.

The Assessment is a Sci-fi drama Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel as Mia and Aaryan, a couple who want a child in the future are given a 7 day test by an assessor,(Alicia Viklander) who make the test possible and if no slip ups occur a baby will be gifted, but the expected-to-be parents see that this is harder than they expected.

Given strength by strong acting and unique premise, The Assessment is something I didn't really expect plot-wise but I think it was made brilliantly. The film is set in a format of Days 1-7 and each one is as different and engaging as the other. Honestly I was expecting this to reuse sci-fi tropes from the past, but I got to say that this is so original and unexpected I think it was done super well! The way everything connects and what the couple have to do is portrayed so well to the point that this might be what the most likely cause of creating children will be in a effected world of climate change.

Performances do not disappoint, Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel were so good they probably could've been on their own with a entirely different plotline and it would have been just as captivating. But Alicia Viklander is also very good and to be honest, she's very good at the whole sci-fi genre and to see her here was a delight. Just everyone involved did their best and I really appreciate that with a film that doesn't really rely on CGI to be as creative as it is.

However, the film is graphic in some places in terms of sex and disturbing interactions from Alica Viklander's character acting like a child in a older woman's body gave me Poor Things vibes. But that doesn't matter really and it's essential to the plot but this is definitely for an older audience and I can definitely imagine this being an easy R or 15/18 in the UK if anyone is interested.

Overall, while some characters don't have much resolved plotlines the ones that do are created and performed so well it's hard to find anything bad about The Assessment. Definitely a one you must go and see when it comes out in mid 2025 I would highly recommend this amazing and creative piece of art when it hits cinemas.

Grade: A+

London Film Festival October 19th.