Men moves like a funeral procession; slowly, methodically creeping into the belly of the beast, it's met with equal parts fascination and gut-churning horror.
Children of Men (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:199
Fresh:183
Rotten:16
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live. This taut and thought-provoking tale may not have the showy special effects normally found in movies of this genre, but you won't care one bit after the story kicks in, about a dystopic future where women can no longer conceive and hope lies within one woman who holds the key to humanity's survival. It will have you riveted.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $35,286,428
Synopsis: CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience... CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience because the picture is an amazing dystopian drama that lacks all the typical trappings of the genre. Set uncomfortably close to the present, it paints a frighteningly realistic picture of the future. In 2027, every woman on earth is infertile. With the loss of the ability to have children, the world has also lost hope. Clive Owen (CLOSER) plays Theo, an Englishman attempting to make a life in a hellish world. His estranged wife (Julianne Moore) convinces him to help transport a young woman to safety. When Theo learns that the woman is pregnant, their journey takes on a significance--and a danger--he never imagined. This is Cuarón's best film to date, a strong statement considering his wonderful HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN. Filmed using a handheld camera, the action draws the audience close, making the horror that much more real. In addition to its remarkable car-chase scenes, the film features impressive acting. With his expressive face and voice, Owen gives a nuanced performance that ranks with the best of his career. As a reclusive hippie, Michael Caine shares a charming counterculture view of the crumbling world. Chiwetel Ejiofor (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) brings gravitas to the role of a terrorist. Just when the film threatens to overwhelm with its sense of dread, small moments of comedy show through in Owen's wry sense of humor and Caine's perfect delivery. When the credits roll, CHILDREN OF MEN leaves the audience feeling shell-shocked, not only because of its brutal prophecy, but also because of its brilliance. [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Peter Mullan, Charlie Hunnam, Pam Ferris, Danny Huston, Jacek Koman
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton, Alfonso Cuaron
Producer: Hilary Shor, Marc Abraham, Tony Smith, Eric Newman, Iain Smith
Composer: John Tavener
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Children of Men
One of the year’s most imaginative and uniquely exciting pieces of cinema.
It's a measure of Cuarón's directorial chops that Children of Men functions equally well as fantasy and thriller.
There's a constant sense of urgency and uncertainty, as anything seemingly can and will happen to the characters.
Children of Men is filled with scenes which dazzle you with their technical complexity and visual virtuosity. On this level alone, it's easily one of the best films of the year and represents a new level of artistry for Cuarón.
Children of Men is an anecdotal vision of the way the future seems to be headed from a 2006 vantagepoint. There is only a tiny glimmer of hope, and it does not extend to the masses.
Children of Men leaves too many questions unanswered, yet it has a stunning visceral impact. You can forgive a lot in the face of filmmaking this dazzling.
Conta não apenas com um ou dois, mas com três dos planos mais complexos e geniais já concebidos por um cineasta.
Destined to stand alongside such adult-skewing sci-fi as A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, and any other seminal dystopian flick you'd care to name.
It would be foolish to deny the supreme technical achievements of Children of Men.
El mundo entero hablará del naturalismo de la cinta, del viaje emocional intenso, y de la grandeza del director y su fotógrafo.
Whatever else may or may not work, Children of Men at least has this: a great idea. It is too bad, then, that the movie surrounding the idea is not equally great.
A freak-show gauntlet in a society gone berserk where screenwriter-director Alfonso Cuaron and his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki take matters into the remarkable.
This futuristic London thriller is so well filmed and acted that it grabs hold of us and never lets go.
The real power is in the simple contrast of despair and hope, the latter embodied in a pregnant woman who seeks protection from a typically world-weary Clive Owen.
This explosively violent future-nightmare thriller, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and adapted from the novel by PD James, has simply the most extraordinary look of any movie around.
A visually stunning Swiftian satire, Children Of Men may appear clumsy, but its message is simple, heartfelt and ultimately rather moving.
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