Seeing Children of Men is a transcendent experience. It is a film that thrusts you into a dangerous and brutal world, yet brings hope for the future. This vision of the future is bleak and grim — there is a distinct feeling of hopelessness. Director Alfonso Cuarón delivers a daring future world that takes you on a journey through the despair to the dawn of a new hope. Quite frankly, I loved this movie.
Before I go any further I need to mention some thoughts on the way the movie has been advertised. The trailers definitely got me excited about the movie, but after seeing the film, I cannot help but think of a missed opportunity for a big screen shocker. What was revealed in the advertising would have had a much bigger impact had we not known exactly what was coming. I am sure that it would have been inferred sooner or later by the audience, but still, I can only attempt to imagine what it would have been like to see that reveal for the first time along with Theo (Clive Owen). The thought of the experience sends shivers up my spine.
Some movies offer a good plot, others offer socio-political undercurrents, others deliver finely crafted characters, still others bring Judeo-Christian allegory to the table. Children of Men delivers all of those. This is a movie that offers a lot to digest, and I am sure — nay, I am positive — that I did not pay close enough attention to digest all of it. I am, historically, a more "surface" viewer. On occasion I will dig a little deeper into the offerings and statements that a movie has to make, but more often I am looking for a good story first and the meanings behind it a distant second.
The story is set in the future, not too far removed from our own. In this future women have become infertile — no more babies are being conceived. The very idea of this happening is blood chilling. Think about it, with all of the weird things that go on in the world, from pollution to genetic experimentation to all of the crazy drugs and chemicals being added to our food and used to treat illnesses, who knows if some sort of other side effects are changing us without being detected?
Article comments
1 - handyguy
I was happily surprised to see how well this movie did at the box office this weekend. It's a pretty demanding movie for an audience...but also very rewarding. An Oscar sleeper maybe?
The movie made me curious about the novel, which is apparently very good. I'm waiting for the used hardcover I ordered from Amazon to arrive...
2 - Chris Beaumont
Haven't seen the numbers yet, but a smile crept across my face when I walked into the theater and saw a crowd much larger than I was expecting.
I would love to see some Oscar love, but sci-fi themed films are often overlooked. I would love to be proven wrong.
Currently, I am putting together my top ten for '06, and this is sitting atop the list. Absolutely incredible movie.
3 - handyguy
$10.3 million this weekend, $11.9 million to date. Only Dreamgirls had a higher per-screen average among movies not in limited release.
I would rate only United 93, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Departed higher than Children of Men for 2006. None of these is exactly light entertainment, so if they reach an audience at all it's a good thing.
4 - Chris Beaumont
Very nice, that makes me quite happy.
I have not yet seen Pan's Labyrinth, which is probably the last major 2006 film I have not yet seen.
It's always great to see the great films find an audience. It almost gives a little hope for movies in general.
5 - Kaonashi
I just watched this movie tonight. It was riveting, dark, gritty, but with a little bit of necessary humor injected here and there. We laughed in the audience when Clive Owen has to walk around for the most part in flip flops that barely fit his feet.
I still can't believe that it was originally released to only 16 screens! That's criminal! I was glad when I found out that they had expanded its release to 1200 screens.