Review 281: Children of Men
Based loosely on novel, The Children of Men by P. D. James; In the year 2027 eighteen since the last baby was born breaucrat Theo Faron (Clive Owen) becomes an unlikely hero for the human race when he is asked by his former lover Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) to escort a young pregnant woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) out of U. K. as quickly as possible. In thrilling race against time, Theo will risk everything to deliver the miracle the whole world has been waiting for.
The plot is a beautiful work of art. As I mentioned before, it's a really haunting and disturbing but so so touching.
What makes it so touching is that we are given a protagonist who we would normally hate but whom despite his cynical and depressed nature decides to help this pregnant woman and as the film progresses the you get the sense that Theo's hope in helping Kee he will find a shot at redemption.
Also there relationship really moves me and the way he grows attached to her and sees it as his mission to escort her out of the country and his responsibility if anything should happen to her.
As for the plot itself, it's got some very thoughtful stuff about what a dystopian future would be like and what it would be like if with human infertility.
Apart from that, it's a story about hope, faith and redemption in the face of overwhelming futility and despair. Much like its novel counterpart, Children of Men describes what happens when society is unable to reproduce, using female infertility to explain this problem.
Hope: The fact that Kee is the first pregnant woman in eighteen years is what gives Theo and the others at the Human Project hope that things will change for the better.
Also, the fact that Kee is an illegal immigrant from Africa who's given birth to the first child in almost two decades is
Also, the fact that Kee is an illegal immigrant from Africa who's given birth to the first child in almost two decades is
Faith: At the beginning when we meet Theo he is depressed, cynical, disillusioned because losing the child he had with Julian caused him to loose faith. Him escorting Kee out of the U.K. restores his faith because he believes that the birth of that child can change humanity.
Redemption: As I mentioned before, Theo mission to escort Kee out of the country is almost like a shot a redemption. After being a dissolute character he wants to atone himself.
Immigration: Loads of people of people try to migrate to the U.K. as it's one of the few countries with a functioning government.
Immigration: Loads of people of people try to migrate to the U.K. as it's one of the few countries with a functioning government.
Writer/director Alfonso Cuaron's direction is brilliant; his use of long takes and hand-held camera work add to vastness of the world as well as the gritty, grim tone required. The cinematography is beautiful and captures the dull, grim and grey environment of the post apocalyptic world the film takes place in, the costumes are terrific (they're rugged and dirty) the scenery is beautiful grim, the use of Fragments of a Prayer by John Tavener is heartbreaking, the production design is excellent (the buildings are delipadated, rusting and are in bad working order. The streets are littered with with rubbish, the living conditions are poor and there are fires and riots.)
The locations used to bring Cuaron's vision of a dystopian 2027 London to life are just incredible and help to flesh out and add texture and depth to the world. It's well paced (there literally was never a dull moment), the tension is relentless, the props are well crafted, there are nice touches of ironic humor, the action scenes is astonishing (there all shot with a single camera and the shot and are staged and choreographed in the most imaginative ways I've seen of film) and the ending is so moving.
The acting is mesmerising. The performances of Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and Clare-Hope Ashitey are incredible and leave a really big impact on you from beginning to end.
Clive Owen in particular really impressed me. The journey his character takes is truly incredible and the way he grows attached to Kee and becomes more protective of her is moving.
Julianne Moore,
Michael Caine
Children of Men is a moving and innovative sci fi film and a film that demonstrates Alfonso Cuaron's skills as a an excellent filmmaker, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
The locations used to bring Cuaron's vision of a dystopian 2027 London to life are just incredible and help to flesh out and add texture and depth to the world. It's well paced (there literally was never a dull moment), the tension is relentless, the props are well crafted, there are nice touches of ironic humor, the action scenes is astonishing (there all shot with a single camera and the shot and are staged and choreographed in the most imaginative ways I've seen of film) and the ending is so moving.
The acting is mesmerising. The performances of Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and Clare-Hope Ashitey are incredible and leave a really big impact on you from beginning to end.
Clive Owen in particular really impressed me. The journey his character takes is truly incredible and the way he grows attached to Kee and becomes more protective of her is moving.
Julianne Moore,
Michael Caine
Children of Men is a moving and innovative sci fi film and a film that demonstrates Alfonso Cuaron's skills as a an excellent filmmaker, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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