Children of Men BD [Blu-ray]

 

 

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I was pumped for this movie. It looked so amazing and so original from the previews. And I'm glad to say that the previews did not mislead me on this one. It was amazing and even more original than I thought.

The only flaw I found with this movie was it's plot. It starts off strong, set in a world where the fertility rate has been at zero for two decades (for only God knows what reason). Living during this period is a cynic by the name of Theo (Clive Owen) who is suddenly drawn into a world of intrigue and danger when he is kidnapped by a revolutionary group. However after that the storyline weakens a little bit. There are too many coincidences and the structure becomes a wee bit to repetitive (safe house to safe house...when you watch the movie you'll know what I mean). (See the review below for more plot problems).

What I found most disappointing however was the lack of character development. It was there of course and the acting was very good (Michael Cain and that girl from Freedom Land especially) but I wanted to see more. If only the director made the movie a half hour longer and elaborated on the characters I would have given this movie five stars.

Other than that though the movie is perfect. Perfect soundtrack. Perfect cinematography. Perfect adaption (from the book of the same name).

But most of all a perfect setting for the story to take place. The director portrays this not so far into the future world so powerfully you get caught up in it. It takes place in the year 2027 and with the loss of fertility the human race has completely lost hope. And when I mean completely I mean COMPLETELY. The rest of the world has more or less collapsed while England (now a police state) is still standing but just barely. Bombs are exploding everywhere. Revolutionary groups and bands of degenerates roam the countryside. Cities are now giant slums. Illegal immigrants swarm into the country only to be locked away and disrespected in the most unimaginable ways.

Sound depressing? It is. The director brings it masterfully to the screen. Every aspect in the movie shows the abject misery everyone on the planet is now suffering. It's portrayal of the future isn't that far fetched technology or culturally either making it all the more absorbing and believable. Rest assured there are no flying cars or super intelligent robots in this flick. Another thing that adds to the realism is it's echoes of our current time (see Islamic radicals, immigration problems, terrorism). Have heart however, the movie is not all gloom and doom ends on a high note.

I almost feel guilty for giving it a four star rating. But I have to. It's plot wasn't as gripping as I hoped it would be and I felt it should have been longer. It definitely had five star potential. Nevertheless a must see movie and I agree with the reviewers below that it is a great tragedy that many will not see it because it hasn't been as ruthlessly promoted as some of the junk out there.

I wouldn't say this is the best movie I've ever seen, but its close. The enthusiasm of many of the reviews of this picture is entirely justified. Though it is unlikely to make anyone feel 'good', it will offer a thought provoking and chillingly plausible vision of a world sliding into despair. The pseudo-documentary camera work is slightly jarring at times, but lends further weight to the film's sense of being grounded in a realist tradition.

The most outstanding thing in this film is the utter realism it achieves through extended shots that seem to run forever, but never lose excitement. I don't have to tell anyone the two most amazing shots in the film that use this. If you've seen it, you know. If you haven't, you will. The tale of post-apocalyptic London and the dismal future of the world is nothing new. But the depiction of the "near-future" in "Children of Men" is so subtle and organic; it comes across surrealistically.... real. It allows the viewer to look past the time and focus on the story. (We've all seen enough films that show us the bright and shiny, flashy as Epcot Center, future) It's nice to see this done so well while still being interesting and unsullied. Another thing I loved about this film was that it didn't try to explain what happened like often happens in sci-fi movies, this is very plot driven, they just show you the landscape and tell you the situation and move on. I also liked that on the extremes of either side of the political landscape in this movie they where more or less the same, just on side had power and the other none. I thought that was very true about most of life, with the people in the middle just kind of caught up in it all.

As for the performances, I thought Michael Caine shines as the eccentric hippie who lovingly attends to his disabled wife and Clive Owen extends himself as the chain smoking hero who doesn't need a cache of firearms to justify this mantle. Julianne Moore is typically excellent as the leader of the terrorist group and there are a few cameos such as Peter Mullan as the gruff and pragmatic soldier Syd. "Children of Men" definitely has heart. In a gritty war-torn scene of violence, to see the hearts of men and women so touched by the sight of a child made me slightly tear up. I am filled with admiration for Alfonso Cuarón - he is truly a visionary and while I don't particularly like what he shows us here, he expresses it with intense artistry. In the end, for all its action and excitement, this film is about the heart of humanity, If not the survival of it.

I just saw this movie and it left a very strong impression on me. I was really shaken by its totally realistic portrayal of a fascist society, it was so believable it was even very painful to watch certain scenes -- like the shootings during the uprising in the camp, filmed very closely like a war reporter and not in a hollywoodian "aesthetic" fashion. I really identified with the characters and shed some tears several times.
I would like to compare this movie to another of my favourites : V for Vendetta -- Clearly, I found C of M more disturbing because far more realsitic than V, and thus more likely to awaken people to certain realities, whereas V's atmosphere of "superhero / spectacular movie" makes it less believable, less likely to awaken people, and yes, in a way it kind of misses its target. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE V, but I don't think it has a potential for awakening people who are still totally unaware of the Terror of the situation : it's too far from being realistic in the way the theme is treated.)
What I also want to point out is the non "black or white" aspect of C of M, which shows the ponerization/corruption of governement AND resistance, thus revealing there is actually no resistance in the sense of "organised political/activist movement" (or if there is, they get killed : ie Julian's murder and Theo's death at the end).
FWIW, when I saw the Matrix in 1999, I didn't get it at all (I even fell asleep during the movie, which is quite ironic:)). Had I seen V at the same period, I would not have got it either. I consider myself as an average person, and as an average person, films like C of M impress me more. Another reason could also be that its touch is more European, just like Pan's Labyrinth (though the directors are Mexican), less special effects (their frequent use in many American movies can be irritating sometimes), less slick, and much rougher, which I like in European / other countries' movies (Irish movies for ex).
So, all in all, a very good and powerful movie which I recommend.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A disturbing view of one potential future
Children of Men (sci-fi, drama)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Universal Studios | 2006 | 110 min... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Steven Aldersley

4.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Masterpiece
Excellent film, Made even better by this high quality blu-ray picture. If you can get past the story, characters and atmosphere, watch it for the long unbroken (continous shot)... Read more

Published on Oct 7 2009 by Joel Macdonald

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazingly bleak, yet hopeful look into a possible future of humanity.
A film that makes you feel like you're there and wish you weren't at the same time, this film does an amazing job of capturing the best an worst that humanity has to offer. Read more

Published on July 24 2009 by Nigel Laut

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible
I have no idea who gave this film an 4/5 it is terrible. I kept wondering if I missed Part 1 that would at least set everything up. Read more

Published on Feb 4 2008 by David Barclay

4.0 out of 5 stars A BLEAK BUT BRILLIANT LOOK AT OUR POTENTIAL FUTURE
Children of Men is more than a movie. It also is a warning of what our future could be.
THE PLOT:
In the year 2027 there is no hope for a future. Read more

Published on Aug 25 2007 by G_R_E_G

3.0 out of 5 stars Good start ... but there is something missing
I had no idea what to expect with this movie and I watched it with a very open mind. It's true that the acting, the sets, the art direction, the music/sound and the casting are... Read more

Published on April 22 2007 by Mimi :-)

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Movie of 2006
In my opinion, this film was the best of last year. It is a shame that it was released in the holiday season and overlooked by many. Read more

Published on April 18 2007 by M. Bent

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Movie
Not only is this a great story with incredible suspense it is told in a very mature and realistic manner with a very human and reluctant hero played by Clive Owen who will some... Read more

Published on April 7 2007 by Kilgore

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful achievement
I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out.

Let me rephrase ... "I Experienced this movie... Read more

Published on Mar 27 2007 by Cameron

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