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 Children of Men 

What grade would you give this film?
A 72%  72%  [ 79 ]
B 19%  19%  [ 21 ]
C 4%  4%  [ 4 ]
D 3%  3%  [ 3 ]
F 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
I don't plan on seeing this film 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 109

 Children of Men 
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College Boy Z

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Post Children of Men
Children of Men

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Children of Men is a 2006 British dystopian science fiction film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The Strike Entertainment production was loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel of the same name by Cuarón and Timothy J. Sexton with help from David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. It stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Pam Ferris, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Caine.

Set in the United Kingdom of 2027, the film explores a grim world in which two decades of global human infertility have left humanity with less than a century to survive. Societal collapse, terrorism, and environmental destruction accompany the impending extinction. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom—perhaps the last functioning government—persecutes a seemingly endless wave of illegal immigrant refugees seeking sanctuary. In the midst of this chaos, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) must find safe transit for Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a pregnant African "fugee" (refugee).

The film was released on 22 September 2006 in the UK, 19 October 2006 in Australia and on December 25, 2006 in the U.S., critics noting the relationship between the Christmas opening and the film's themes of hope, redemption, and faith.

Children of Men was only a moderate financial success, but attracted positive reviews from critics and acclaim from filmgoers. The film was recognised for its achievements in screenwriting, cinematography, art direction, and innovative single-shot action sequences, receiving three Academy Award nominations and winning two BAFTA awards. It has gone on to take many accolades after its release, with many critics and associations recognizing it as a contemporary sci-fi classic.


Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:12 pm
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Vagina Qwertyuiop
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Copied and pasted from my cinemania thread:

Let's start with the hyperbole... Children of Men is one of the best films I've ever seen.

The film opens ordinarily enough. The world's in mourning because the world's youngest living person has just been killed. Knifed by someone he didn't give an autograph to. Clive Owen saunters into a small café, packed with people watching the story unfold on the news, and squeezes past to order a coffee. It's all very grey and depressing - Quintessentially English.

He leaves the café, walks a bit down the street, plops his coffee on a nearby stand, tops it up with a bit of whiskey - and then the café blows up. And a woman comes out screaming, clutching one of her arms in the other.

The scene sets the tone of the film brilliantly. It's a brutal, harrowing film in a grim, gritty, dystopian future, and what's more, none of it seems all that far-fetched. Sure, it's 20-odd years in the future, but England looks pretty much the same. The only real differences are that it's a police state, covered in graffiti and populated by hapless bums. Oh, and there are no children. Yes, the future's a paedophile's nightmare.

Theo (Clive Owen) himself is an ordinary enough bloke. He works in an office (it's not made clear what he does, nor is it all that important), occasionally hangs around with Jasper (Michael Caine) - a retired political cartoonist who lives and grows pot in a secluded haunt out in the woods - and gets drunk a lot. Of course, a tragedy from the past has left him a bit dead to the world, so he barely bats an eyelid when he sees immigrants being battered and packed off in cages to concentration camps, or people throwing bricks and bottles at a commuter train he's on.

But then one day, out of the blue, Theo's kidnapped by some terrorists and reunited with his long lost love Julian (Julianne Moore) - who, it turns out, is their leader. She needs some papers to get a girl named Kee over to Brighton, and she knows Theo's cousin can get them. After a bit of prodding (and financial remuneration) he agrees to help, and manages to tag along for the ride to boot.

The kick, of course, is that Kee's the world's first pregnant woman in over 18 years. And everyone have their own designs for the little mite. Naturally the proceedings complicate.

What follows is, at its core, a typical chase movie. I don't want to spoil a few of the surprises (one in particular, near the beginning of the film, knocked the wind out of me - it's followed immediately by one of the greatest shots of a motorcyclist being smacked by a car door and violently tumbling over the car's hood I've ever seen), but pretty soon it's just Theo and the pregnant lass on the run from the police and the terrorists at the same time. As typical as the structure may be though, there's nothing typical about Children Of Men.

For one, it's incredibly well directed. Cuaron has wisely stayed away from making the proceedings overly flashy, instead going for a gritty realism that lends authenticity to the proceedings. There are terrific action set pieces, sure, but most of them are shot completely from Clive's point of view. When the biker tumbles over the car, we don't see it from seven different angles, it's a simple hand-held shot from the back seat. And this isn't the Paul Greengrass school of handheld - where at the slightest hint of action, the cameraman has an epileptic fit - but effective, comprehensible handheld that invigorates the action..

The acting is also pretty much note-perfect. Clive Owen's particularly effective as the lead (he's too good for Bond, he should stick to material like this) Julianne Moore is luminous as Julian, and Chiwetel Ejiofor's equally impressive as Luke, terrorist/activist extraordinaire. Michael Caine, as always, plays Michael Caine to perfection - only looking a bit more Dumbledore-esque than usual.

By the time the climax arrives, you've barely noticed the film's transition from a dystopian chase flick into Saving Private Baby, as all out war wages between the military and the insurgents, with Theo, Kee and the baby desperately trying to escape a concentration camp amidst a sea of tanks, artillery, and machine gun fire.

Although the year's far from over, and I hope I'll be eating my words by the time the likes of The Fountain turn up, I think it's pretty safe to say that Children of Men is the best film of 2006. In all honesty, I can't imagine anything better coming along this year. I hope I'm wrong. If there's a god, it'll walk away with Best Picture. Alfonso Cuaron's made his first true masterpiece. Let's hope it isn't his last.

A+


Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:49 pm
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God damn I want to see Children of Men NOW... Anyone know if there's a site that has a good quality version of it?


Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:20 pm
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I knew this movie would be good. Glad to see a shining review. I wish I could watch it now. BAH!


Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:12 pm
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Jordan Mugen-Honda
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Whenever a potential oscar movie gets an early viewing beyond the good old US of A I get worried. I always think. "Is it a johnny come lately" and "step short of true greatness" and so it was when I gingerly walked towards a viewing of Children of Men in my local Castlebar movie building these feelings abounded. But I should never have worried because in the end Cuaron has constructed one of the best movies of 2006 thus far.

Since Snrub has layied out the plot already so I can go striaght to the details and for me the most striking point is the sheer authenticity of what dystopia would really look like that is givin in this movie. Forget the neat little buildings and Nazi Germany order of V For Vendetta, in Children of Men you see the dirt of decay in all its nasty glory. Decaying buildings, oppressing immigration cages, mounds of undelivered rubbish the whole city of London screams "The End" and thats how it should be. Indeed on Cinematopraphy alone Caurons film should gety a nod, its this sense of forbouding that drives the entire movie. Other professional reviews has attempeted to link this to the present situation in the Middle East but that is nonsense, Children of Mens Message is much more direct and serious, Like I said it screams "The End" in a way almost as impressive as BBC Documdrama "Threads" from back in the 80s.

In terms of performances everything comes up top trumps. Owens tired London worker is the ideal flawed hero, and around him the casting is stunning. Moore's role which esentially exists as the window to the past is the counterbalance to Claire-Hope Ashitey as the Pregnent Kee holding the future of humanity in her hands. Her mixture of youthful irritation and fear works superbly and is a totally believably key to the future.

Special mention should also be made in regard to Michael Caine's performance as the Hash smoking journalist who lives in the wilderness. Histypecasting in previous Hollywood films was tiresome. Caine plays much more then the nobel Englishman and it shows here. In Children of Men he is layered and interested in a way I have never seen..............he is a human being in essance.

The final 30m minutes deserve as oscarworthy alone. Never have I seenthe reality of modern warfare captured as you do here. Admitedly Chiwetel Ejiofor's character is a babbling nonsenseicely annoyance of the scene but the rest is complete food for the mind. The Tanks, the urban landscape, the infantry, the chaoas. Everything appears. And everything is memorable.

Seriously I don't wan't to give spoilers. All I'll say I'f you want to watch the best movie of 2006 then watch this. A Stunning Movie

A+


Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:10 am
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Vagina Qwertyuiop
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And for those who want to watch it, a good copy is available online now.

Just watched it again. I've decided that the scene where Clive has to jump-start a car is one of the most intensely suspenseful sequences ever put to film.


Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:20 pm
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So I hear this movie gives you an orgasm.

Still lookin' forward to it.

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Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:01 pm
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Hitokiri Battousai wrote:
So I hear this movie gives you an orgasm.

Still lookin' forward to it.


It's the kind of film that makes you love film all over again.

I just watched Pan's Labyrinth after my rewatch of COM, and it's mediocre in comparison.


Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:25 pm
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NO SPOILERS

Yes this is extremely good. Ive posted a review in Cinemania a couple of weeks back.

That car restarting sequence is perfect I agree. As is the scene that turns the whole film on its head about 25 mins in (included the motorcycle) I thought that was breathtaking.

Some people have a gripe with the fact not much is told (actually nothing) bout how the worldwide sterility came about - but I think thats what gives the film that little bit extra. It doesnt spoon feed the viewer.

My only problem with the film is the first 20 mins. I just couldnt get into the worlds youngest man story. It just seemed a bit comical. But I guess in hindsight you couldnt look at it any other way. Definitely need to see it again.

Grade: A

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Mon Nov 06, 2006 9:35 pm
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Despite the subpar sound quality and people's heads occasionally being cut off, Children of Men still really struck me. I agree with just about everything Snrub said, although it almost struck me as a bit too lean and ambiguous - the film is constantly on the move, and while the ending is pretty perfect, I wished I had gone a bit farther into the backstory. It's sort of like a more intense, violent War of the Worlds, sans the dissapointing ending. A must-see for anyone who enjoys film. A


Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:35 pm
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I can't tell you how much I want to see this on the big screen now. I'm not sure if everyone here will consider it a classic, it's a deceptively simple story when you boil it all down. I don't think the script is it's strongest point, but if a few scenes are a bit too by the book, they also burn into your memory with some incredibly haunting imagery. The final scene really comes to mind, with SPOILERS the jets flying overhead until they dissapear into the fog before we see bombs in the distance.

It really, really does feel like the film War of the Worlds wanted to be and was to some extent.


Tue Nov 14, 2006 6:56 am
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It wasn't the masterpiece I thought it would be but it was still a pretty good movie with some exceptional scenes and a great performance by Clive Owen. The car restarting scene deserves all the praise it got. I was surprised by SPOILER the early death of Moore. I thought there would be much more of her. And MovieDude is right about the simple story, that was my main weakpoint. That's the reason I was a bit dispointed after my theatrical (love the fact that it's already playing here and not in america :) ) viewing. But the more I think about it the more I like it, a solid B+ in my book.


Tue Nov 14, 2006 10:39 am
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I've been waiting for Devin Faraci's take on it over at CHUD, as my opinion's always generally been on a par with his (with the exception of United 93). After his massive praise for The Fountain and Pan's Labyrinth, I've been itching for him to see Children Of Men to get his take. And now he has:

Devin Feraci wrote:
Tonight I saw 2006’s third honest to God masterpiece, and that’s Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men. I can’t review the film yet, and I wouldn’t want to since I haven’t had time to fully digest it (and it’s so goddamned dense that I may need to see it again before I should even attempt a real review), but Children of Men is simply a brilliant movie. It’s also the best directed movie of the year, no matter what the Academy Awards end up telling you; Cuaron has constructed his film in a series of breathtaking long tracking shots, which you sometimes don’t even notice because he never once sacrifices his story or his characters for his visual style. The movie is about a miracle – the first human born after 18 years of mysterious infertility – and it is itself a miracle.

After watching Children of Men I realized that these three disparate movies have a couple of things in common. They’re all very ambitious, but not in budget. Children of Men is the priciest at 75 million, a number a fraction of what Superman Returns cost and yet Cuaron is able to create a more amazing and immersive world than Bryan Singer even dreamed about. They’re also all fantastic films in the genre sense – The Fountain and Children of Men are science fiction movies, and Pan’s Labyrinth is a fantasy film (and no, it’s not all the girl’s imagination. Watch closely for the clue that everything is really happening).


Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:31 pm
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A-, outstanding direction and cinematography. Feels more like The Pianist/Black Hawk Down/Saving Private Ryan/City of God than a science fiction movie. There are some super exciting, heart-pounding action sequences in the movie. The only slightly weak part of the movie is the screenplay, but Cuaron definitely makes the most of his direction.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:10 pm
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B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:20 pm
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Levy wrote:
B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Really, I thought the action scenes were what made the film. Probably would've given it a B without them.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:45 pm
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alex young wrote:
Levy wrote:
B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Really, I thought the action scenes were what made the film. Probably would've given it a B without them.


Likewise, I thought the end shootout was completely necessary - and believable.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:51 pm
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alex young wrote:
Levy wrote:
B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Really, I thought the action scenes were what made the film. Probably would've given it a B without them.


The philosophical aspects of the movie fascinated me the most from the get-go, so I was a bit disappointed when it turned into a full-blown action flick towards the end


Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:24 pm
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College Boy Z

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Levy wrote:
alex young wrote:
Levy wrote:
B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Really, I thought the action scenes were what made the film. Probably would've given it a B without them.


The philosophical aspects of the movie fascinated me the most from the get-go, so I was a bit disappointed when it turned into a full-blown action flick towards the end


REALLY?


Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:32 pm
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Jordan Mugen-Honda
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Zingaling wrote:
Levy wrote:
alex young wrote:
Levy wrote:
B, a really fascinating movie with a fantastic story and outstanding camera work. The only thing that stops me from giving an A is that a few of the action scenes were only their for the sake of the action scenes. It was completely unnecessary to pimp the movie by the shootout at the end for example. Nevertheless a really great movie


Really, I thought the action scenes were what made the film. Probably would've given it a B without them.


The philosophical aspects of the movie fascinated me the most from the get-go, so I was a bit disappointed when it turned into a full-blown action flick towards the end


REALLY?


Its a full 11 on the action scale at the end Zing. Time to get drooling.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:41 pm
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I can't wait 'til Loyal sees this film. He'll orgasm over it for sure.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:51 pm
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Snrub wrote:
I can't wait 'til Loyal sees this film. He'll orgasm over it for sure.


Keep the foreplay in the watercooler Snrub :tongue:


Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:55 pm
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The action scenese can't be faulted. They are almost perfect.

The first action scene with the ambush/motorbike is one of my favourite action scenes of all time. Not to mention the suspense of some of the other scenes and the final scenes are great too.

Rare to have a film be intelligent and offer great action/entertainment at the same time. This is one of those films.

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Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:57 pm
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Snrub wrote:
I can't wait 'til Loyal sees this film. He'll orgasm over it for sure.


What's the release date anyway?

And yes, I'm almost positive that I'll cream over it.

Caine and Owen and Cuaron and sci-fi.


Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:01 pm
College Boy Z

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Children of Men... action flick... wow. I would NEVER guess based on the trailer. I'm there!


Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:01 pm
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