Easy to watch and hard to shake, Children of Men is an action-adventure film/socio-political nightmare.
Children of Men (2006)
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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
With this panting, ragged chase through the end of the world, Cuarón and Lubezski have reinvented the language of the action film.
Dystopian take on a world without children that includes pointed to current abuses in the "war on terror" and the xenophobia gripping Great Britain and other countries.
Even if you don’t buy the main conceit, the scumbled texture of the movie makes it feel not just plausible but recognizable, and Cuarón takes care never to paint the future as consolingly different.
This is how humanity ends ... annihilated not all at once, but piecemeal, slowly ground to bits between the codependent ideologies of terror and fascism.
Narratively, the film may be an uneasy blend of genres, but technically it's brilliant, with lengthy set pieces-- staged and shot in gritty style with handheld camera by ace lenser Emmanuel Lubezki and his team--that should serve as textbook material.
Fans of the novel may argue about Cuarón's many departures. Some heighten the story's connections to present-day crises; others cloud James' moral vision.
While it's best to know as little as possible about this movie going into the theater, the story is so fast-paced that you won't be thinking about this review or any other.
In Cuarón's highly-skilled hands, Children of Men continuously threatens to develop into something more fascinating than it is.
The picture is a conceptual muddle. Fortunately, Cuarón is such a talented filmmaker that the movie is interesting on other levels.
I did enjoy the film overall, but didn’t get bowled over by it as so many other fans have.
A second viewing, which Children of Men richly rewards, deepens our understanding.
There is a genuine feel, in the film's look, of a world on the brink of total collapse.
Cuaron's script, co-written with Timothy J. Sexton, is incredibly tight, Owen is palpably comfortable in Theodore's skin, and the issues of immigration and cultural ambivalence that the film centers on are more than compelling.
Filming Children of Men as if it were a war documentary enhances its urgency, but Cuarón allows quieter moments to disturb us as well.
This is real movie magic... We know they can create anything in CGI, make anything happen with tricky editing and the like. To actually take that out of an equation may not be obvious to everyone, but it registers.
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