Children of Men

Children of Men Review:

"No Children. No Future. No Hope." Ok I just really like the tag-line for the film.

Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Y tu Mama Tambien and Harry Potter 3, put out another interesting hand-cam-filled film. If you can read between the lines this statement means it was slightly thought provoking and a visually bumpy movie. The cast was great. I love Clive Owen's work and I've followed Jullianne Moore for sometime as well. Michael Caine was good and at last cast in a different light... the girl who played Kee, Claire-Hope Ashitey, was very believeable and I enjoyed her as the lead actress. Also, I hate to say too much about the actors, I must say Pam Ferris was good in her role. She was silly but believable.

The movie was OK, but the concept and individual scenes/characters were better--they were great. The story takes place in 2020 something and offers the sci-fi possibility that the whole world becomes sterile, aka the world is coping with the turmoil of no children being born in over 18 years. No one knows why. The story follows Clive Owen's character, Theo, on his personal journey as he goes back to his somewhat-righteous rebel roots, while dealing with his personal pain (I like how subtle this theme continued on after it was so obvious at the start). The grand story-line is about a girl who miraculously becomes pregnant and the implication of the pregnancy on a world that is almost completely destroyed. Will she carry the baby to full term? Who will know about it? When she gives birth will the baby live? Will there be political battles over the baby? What ensues in this is extremely moving. (But remember I'm a sap)

SPOILER ALERT! I was overwhelmed during the birthing scene. The build up, the raw, grittiness of the who scene... Well the movie for that matter. But this one scene was SO hopeful and brilliantly done. It was a little graphic, but totally necessary. I also liked the depth of the character created for Clive Owen, it wasn't totally in your face (again, except at the start).

Overall I liked the film. SO why was it just OK? The end was a little--eh, predictable or perhaps not fulfilling in many ways. It also seemed like it could have moved along quicker at points, probably could have been about 20 minutes shorter if more was taken out of the start. But hey, I would consider seeing it again...

Peanut Butter on Rice Cakes