Children of Men (2006)
I really wanted to watch Children of Men (2006) last Saturday but the 200 copies at the local Blockbuster were gone. What’s a guy to do when he has company over and has to make a good film pick? I paid full price for the DVD and I feel it was worth it.
Children of Men was on a lot of top ten lists last year and a lot of critics considered it to be the best film of the year. Was it better than Pan’s Labyrinth or The Departed? Hard to say. My favourite is still Pan’s Labyrinth.
Children of Men is dark, beautiful and definitely not a mainstream popcorn flick. It’s the type of film that stays with you long after it ends and will have some people wondering why they spent 109 minutes watching it. I enjoyed it and need to watch it again.
Set in the future, Children of Men presents a world where humankind is on the brink of extinction. A killer virus wiped out all the world’s children and left the adults infertile. Amidst all the anarchy and chaos, a pregnant woman appears with a miracle child, a saviour for the world.
Like The Matrix before it, Children of Men will surely inspire a number of university courses along the lines of “The Christology of Children of Men”. The biblical references run deep and will make this a popular film to analyze and discuss.
There were many incredible scenes in this film but the one that stuck with me the most involves the crying baby. The presence of this miracle child and its crying voice is louder than the deafening crackle of automatic gun fire. It’s one of those cinematic moments that you’ll remember for years—think Schindler’s List and the scene with the child in the red coat.
In the last few days there’s been quite a buzz about the incredible cinematography in this film—the long takes and the magnificent camera work will have you scratching your head. There is a lot to enjoy about this film if you’re willing to participate in it while you watch it.
Stumble It!Posted in DVD Reviews at 11:33 PM
Comments
CoM is a great movie Jay. One point though, no virus wiped out children, just one day everyone was infertile. Time marches on and eventually all children born right before the infertility event grew old. That’s why all the omegas in the movie are 18 or older, infertility happened 18 years previous.
One interesting aspect from the novel, it was men who were made infertile. When authorities scrambled for answers they went to sperm banks to retrieve specimens and discovered that they had all been made infertile as well. It lends a super natural aspect to the book that is not obvious in the movie.
Posted by: Ryan Glover on April 11, 2007 1:07 PM
There was mention of Clive Owen’s son dying in a flu pandemic. I thought that had something to do with the global infertility. I guess I need to read the book (and maybe watch the movie again).
Posted by: Jay Kerr on April 11, 2007 2:51 PM
Fair warning, the book is very different then movie. Very. I think I prefer the movie though. It’s more in line with how I think the scenario would play out. No disrespect to P.D. James but the book gets a little far fetched and deus ex machina.
The death of Theo’s child is used in the book and the movie as an explanation for why his marriage fell apart. In the book, spoiler warning, he backs over his kid in his car. I think the flu is a better way to go. Makes Theo looks less like a boob.
Posted by: Ryan Glover on April 11, 2007 4:51 PM
Just watched this tonight and was just astonished. Excellent cinematography, art direction, etc. And just the right amount of emphasis on hope versus despair. I’m really disappointed I missed seeing this on a big screen, though.
Posted by: James McNally on June 17, 2007 11:27 PM
