Thursday, February 20, 2014

Children of Men


Released in 2006 Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Starring Jullian Moore, Clive Owen, Claire-Hope Ashity, Michael Caine, and Chiwetel Ejiofor .

Based on the novel 'Baroness of Bad" by P D James, Children of Men is one of the most compelling PA movies of the last decade. Indeed, it's one of the best. That's why IMDB has over 1,155 user reviews. There's no Tom Cruise in shiny jackets, no Hollywood cliches, just a staggering $76 million dollar epic in the desolate war-torn future where the Army is constantly embattled with it's citizens. It's scarier than most PA movies, because its very believable. References to the treatment of prisoners of the 'war on terror' are obvious, and brutal. Gunfights are incredibly realistic and disturbing. Human nature is on display in all it's forms, naked and shameless.

Set in 2027  London, all the women are infertile. Except one. One lone miracle exists. One lone color in a world of grey. Our main man Theo is talked into escorting the young woman named Kee to a safe place where she can raise the first baby to be born in 18 years. In fact, the last 18 year old alive had just made headlines with his own sudden death, spurning a national outcry of mourning at the tragedy, a storm of rage at the system which struggles to oppress those who are still alive, a dystopic uproar at a lost world that offers no hope, no future, and no one to blame.

There's no real answer to what happened to the world, as newspapers and agencies can be trusted only as much as the next roving band of survivors. Kee's pregnancy is considered a miracle by most, and a commodity by others. Together, a small group must endure a storm of bullets and deception to reach their destination.

This isn't your typical 'hero must get from point A to point B and kill everyone along the way' kind of film. In fact, for an allegorical reason that can only be answered by the viewer, Theo never picks up a gun, even when you're begging him to. Dude, it's right in front of you, there's shots everywhere, you need a gun! Pick up the gun! But he never does. If it's fate, or faith, or luck that keeps him alive, you never are quite sure, but distinctly placed artwork and references to the modern day, Picasso, Pink Floyd, and TS Eliot give you more reasons to repeat the movie. Like Fight Club, you'll learn something new every time you see it.








No comments:

Post a Comment