“As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children’s voices.”
I remember my brother coming home from Winnipeg around the time that this movie came out, utterly transfixed and blown away he said I must see this movie. I waited for a long period of time and kicked myself right after to actually watch it. I actually remember renting this movie from Blockbuster as soon as it came out, and matt was right, holy crap what a movie. And 10 plus years later, especially in the period that we’re living in now, with all the craziness going on throughout the world, this film reigns true still.
Children of Men is a Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller film it is set in 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
The film is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. His filmography consists of such films as A Little Princess (1995), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and Gravity (2013). You can tell you’re in for something special as a viewer of a film when Alfonso Cuaron is the director. He does a film every couple of years, like he did Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004 and then 2 years later he did Children of men in 2006. It took him another 7 years for him to direct Gravity in 2013. You can see the time that it takes to go into his films to develop something that to me is even more than a film, you feel like you’re watching actual people living, and not just some fabricated movie. The sheer amount of ingenuity and technical aspects of how Cuaron directed this film, makes it an easy film for me to recommend to people who like to see how films are made, who pick apart every scene and ask how did they do that? He utilizes really long cuts in scenes, two prime examples of this that I thought of and are easily some of my favourite scenes in the movie are:
1)The car scene where they’re having a conversation. This is about 7 minutes and the crew and Cuaron were able to cut a hole in the roof the car to mount a single camera on the inside that would rotate back and forth to record each perspective of the scene. In this way you were able to feel like you were a passenger in the car and you were just looking around you.
2) The tank scene. Theres a scene where I won’t spoil but you can see characters running away from a tank. A person around the camera gets killed, and you see the blood splatter onto the camera lens. According to the documentary I watched about how these shots were conducted, this blood splatter was not part of the shot they wanted, but they thought that it added a really interesting and neat effect, so they left it on. The scene here lasts a lot longer and as a great payoff, making it one of my favourite scenes/sequences in the movie.
This is definitely my favourite film that Alfonso Cuaron has directed and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
The film is written by Alfonso Cuaron, Hawk Ostby, Mark Fergus, David Arata, and Timothy J. Sexton. Anything Alfonso Cuaron directs, he has a hand in writing. I am also not familiar with David Arata and Timothy J. Sexton’s film writing at all, as I’ve seen nothing else they have done. but Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus both wrote First Snow (2006), Iron Man (2008), Cowboys and Aliens (2011). Mark Fergus also directed First Snow (2006). I thought the screenplay for this movie was excellent, theres a lot of great character development and story development. I thought that every actor had a major revelation and their own unique set of laws. I was invested in the story and it had me on the edge of my seat and intrigued until the credits rolled. Unfortunately after the credits rolled…it infected my brain for a fair bit of time afterwards, which is a sign to me of not only it being a good film, but a powerful film.
The film stars Julianne Moore as Julian, Clive Owen as Theo Faron, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Luke, and Michael Caine as Jasper.
Julianne Moore’s filmography consists of The Fugitive (1993), Boogie Nights (1997), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Magnolia (1999), Hannibal (2001), The Forgotten (2004), I’m Not There. (2007), Blindness (2008), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011), Don Jon (2013), and Non-Stop (2014). I think Julianne Moore is a great actress, anything she’s in, I like. Probably why I’ve seen all these films. In each film she plays a completely different character and there are moments where you forget you’re watching an actor and you think you’re watching an actual person live. I thought she was great in this movie, and had really great chemistry with the other actors. She was serious, but had a lot of heart.
Clive Owen’s filmography consists of The Bourne Identity (2002), Closer (2004), Sin City (2005), Inside Man (2006), and Shoot ‘Em Up (2007). I watched this movie for the first time because of Clive Owen mostly (and my brothers recommendation). I think Clive Owen is great in anything that he is in, whether he is over the top, or down right serious. His role as Theo was my favourite role that he has ever done. I’m honestly surprised that he wasn’t recognized more for this role, because he genuinely blew me away. You really felt for his character as you knew that he was struggling internally and externally constantly. He was an alcoholic, depressed and struggling man trying to make it in this dystopian world full of depression.
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s filmography consists of Serenity (2005), Four Brothers (2005), Inside Man (2006), American Gangster (2007), 12 Years A Slave (2013), The Martian (2015), and Triple 9 (2016). I’ve enjoyed Ejiodor’s acting ever since I saw him in this movie. He has a different way of acting and encapsulating a character than most other people. I thought he did a great job, as you didn’t know really what he was thinking, but then when you figured it out, you were questioning the morales. I don’t think this was his best role however, as he was absolutely breathtaking in 12 Years a Slave (2013), so much so that he was nominated for Best Actor in A Leading Role for the Academy Awards that year.
Michael Caine’s filmography consists of Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Miss Congeniality (2000), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Now You See Me (2013), Interstellar (2014), and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). What is there to say about Michael Caine that hasn’t already been said time and time again? Michael Caine is not an actor, but a chameleon. He can play any role, any genre, any character. However from the films that I have seen that this film is in my top 3 of my favourite performances of his and also it was so different. In Children of Men he plays Theo’s best friend, and he is dedicated in taking car of his wife and making some money on the side selling marijuana to the police. He plays this hilarious hippy, that you instantly fall in love with. He was definitely the small amount of comic relief in the film, he was the little light in the sheer darkness of the film.
I thought that all the acting in this movie was great, so much so that I don’t get bored of the film and sometimes I don’t even feel like I’m watching a movie or watching actors in a movie, it seems so much more than that.
Theres a lot of hidden inspiration from this movie, that it may require a couple of repeat viewings to really pick up on it. I’m inspired by the character of Theo, because no matter how bleak the future was or how depressing his life is, he wanted to help get this pregnant girl to the sanctuary. He wanted to help so bad, that he put his life on the line. I also think this movie gives a lot of solace to people who’s world is a little bit darker, because no matter how dark your world is, there will be some dim sets of light that will help guide your way through the darkness. Its not so much the story of survival, but a story about hope. And you know what they say about hope: “Hope is a good thing. Maybe even the best of things…and no good thing ever dies.” Hope is salvation, and I think this message reigns truer today than it did back in 2006. Hope is what we need these days all over the world, and especially in our own lives.
Children of Men gets a 5/5 from me.
This is one of my favourite films, and I haven’t seen anything quite like it. I love all the characters and the setting of the film is completely engrossing.
Until Next Time, Stay Inspired!
-Andrew
**note: am I ever glad I pre write some of these, I’ve been sick for 3 weeks, sorry for the lack of newer reviews!**
i hope to see a cure for wellness on Tuesday and I have a screening coming up for before I fall on March 1st!