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Children of Men [2007]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £1.95 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.com

Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility.

As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humour to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon


Excellent film with great tension
Review date: 2008-01-29 Rating: 8 out of 10

My wife and I rented this through Amazon. I was a little concerned because my wife doesn't like violent films and I knew there were some pretty violent scenes in this. However, they are dealt with tastefully and form an important part of the story.

I particularly liked the longer passages when the main characters were moving through what was, to a large extent, a battlefield. The camera didn't cut-away or pan around. It just followed the action in one continuous shot, the lens being occasionally spattered with debris and blood. The heart certainly raced a little.

Whilst I'm not quite sure what the film makers were trying to say about the modern world and it's troubles (they appeared to be trying to say something, the message was just a bit garbled) it was a thoroughly entertaining film and I certainly have no regrets in renting it.


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Reviews


What a let down....
Review date: 2007-11-11 Rating: 2 out of 10

How disappointing. The premise sounded very very interesting indeed but the film failed on all levels to interest me. Bleak, dull, rambling and, in a word, boring. Had no empathy for any of the characters, and as a consequence, did not care what the outcome may have been. A bit self-indulgent for me, I'm afraid. Do not watch if you value your time.

Give it a miss
Review date: 2007-08-31 Rating: 2 out of 10

Tosh. Alas. Completely failed to engage me at any level. I lost interest after 45 minutes - and I'm a Clive Owen fan.

If you want something really thrilling check out: Edge of Darkness (Bob Peck); State of Play (John Simm); Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy or Smiley's People (Alec Guinness).

Children of Men--Soo Glad I didn't pay to see this at the cinema
Review date: 2007-08-26 Rating: 4 out of 10

I had high hopes watching the trailer and being an on/off sci-fi reader & watcher rented with great expectations.
I was really dissapointed as I was trying to fill in great gaping gaps in the story lines (while trying to placate my other half who is sports & motor racing fan).The story line is stilted the dialogue does not flow, I don't know if there is a book but a watchers guide would be helpful.
The story just did't make sense & I got the feeling of altered reality watching Britian survive (usually it's the US that triumphs over all adversity) but I was rather sleepy towards the end.
Maybe the whole thing is a subliminal message to all inmmigrants to go home now before it's to late and you get run through the British Nazi like refugee camps-sorry benefit days & council housing all gone!!.
Must say I really liked Michael Caine & his big ginger Tabby cat & who was the trange lady in the wheelchair-only there for him to bumpoff in the end with what I took to be a suicide kit(He was the best bit) along with all the other odd random animals.
Needless to say I won't be adding it to my collection and won't recomment it to others with a clear concience,although maybe to those who annoy me.

The best story Nigel Kneale never wrote
Review date: 2007-08-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

A fantastic film! Very much in the vein of Nigel Kneale with an apocalyptic feel, great scenes and a delicious end add up to a wonderfully dark film. I'v never been a huge fan of Clive Owen, but he is superb in this role, and really projects dispair and hope while the world expoldes around him. The scenes in Central London are worth the price of the film alone. A modern classic!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Clive Owen
Charlie Hunnam
Julianne Moore
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Michael Caine

Creators:
Clive Owen (Primary Contributor)
Julianne Moore (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582471519
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL,
Release date: 2007-01-15
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 105 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: German (Dubbed)

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