Movie Review
Tonight (or, yesterday, rather) I decided to join some others in watching one of the potential Oscar films for this year. I thought I'd write a review for the film, "Children of Men" starring Clive Owen. Everything is under the cut. There are NO SPOILERS, but I didn't want to clog up any Friends Pages. Feel free to comment. I enjoy any input, especially because I found this film to be particularily powerful. :)
CHILDREN OF MEN
Directed By: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Clive Owen, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore
The year is 2027 and Great Britain is the last remaining nation still intact, while the rest of the world has all but fallen apart and are without leaders or a decent military. Great Britain, though, is full of violence and is fast becoming a ruined nation as well. It's also teeming with immigrants from fallen nations around the world, as Great Britain becomes overpopulated and controls this through placing the Fugees (as the immigrants are called) into cages, like a concentration camp. Also, all women are infertile, and have been for nearly twenty years. At the start of the film, the world's youngest person, and eighteen year old, has recently been murdered, resulting in the next youngest person in the world, a woman named Kee, to become the centre of attention for the Human Rights party, which wants to put her under heavy protection. Enemy parties though have movtives that aren't as heroic. Not only is Kee the youngest person alive, she's also the first woman to become pregnant in nearly twenty years.
The opening scene of the film is absolutly gripping. A man named Theo (Clive Owen) is wandering around London admist the news that the world's youngest person has recently died. As he strolls down the filthy and violent streets an explosion erupts from a nearby store and a young woman, with a missing arm, runs screaming from the building. Then the screen goes black and the title credits appear. Almost instantly, the audience is aware that we are introduced to a world that resmbles ours, but also is seemingly more violent.
The plot is involving, as the world that takes place on the screen does not seem so unrealistic or all that distant in the future. It feels relevant, which makes it genuinely frightening. Theo is reconnected with his ex wife, Julian (Julianne Moore) who wants his help in escorting the pregnant Kee to safety with the Human Rights group to which is belongs. Reluctant at first, Theo and Kee eventually build a sense of trust as they have only one another on which they can rely.
Clive Owen gives an excellent performance. As Theo, he is a man of action and few words. He's the silent, brooding type who builds a tentative relationship with the young woman he is meant to help. Owen portrays his character's painful past through his eyes, never getting into any actual conversations as to his son's death at a young age. There is a wonderful scene where his friend Jasper (Michael Caine) is relating Theo's sad story to Kee, and the audience witnesses the effect the story has on Theo through the emotions on his face. He doesn't say anything regarding his son, yet it is all made visible through Owen's emotions. I never thought of Owen as an incredible actor, but this role really changed my mind and I believe he has Oscar potential. Plus, as a bonus, it was a nice surprise to realize how handsome he is. :)
In the supporting role, Claire-Hope Ashitey is great as the pregnant Kee. She perfects the combination of terror at what surrounds her with genuine excitment over giving birth to a child. She also carries a nice chemistry with Owen's character. Michael Caine is amusing as the hippie friend Jasper, who will stop at nothing to help Kee escape from rebel militants who want her baby more than anything.
Overall, the film was excellent. It was thought-provoking and disturbing. It leaves room for discussion and the ending is both heartbreaking and left suitably ambiguous. I like that there was no clear-cut ending spelled out for us, allowing the audience to have their own interpretations. It was visually stunning and Alfonso Cuaron's directing was top notch, as is always expected from a man with his talent. May he earn at least an Oscar nomination for his tremendous work.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (out of five)
CHILDREN OF MEN
Directed By: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Clive Owen, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore
The year is 2027 and Great Britain is the last remaining nation still intact, while the rest of the world has all but fallen apart and are without leaders or a decent military. Great Britain, though, is full of violence and is fast becoming a ruined nation as well. It's also teeming with immigrants from fallen nations around the world, as Great Britain becomes overpopulated and controls this through placing the Fugees (as the immigrants are called) into cages, like a concentration camp. Also, all women are infertile, and have been for nearly twenty years. At the start of the film, the world's youngest person, and eighteen year old, has recently been murdered, resulting in the next youngest person in the world, a woman named Kee, to become the centre of attention for the Human Rights party, which wants to put her under heavy protection. Enemy parties though have movtives that aren't as heroic. Not only is Kee the youngest person alive, she's also the first woman to become pregnant in nearly twenty years.
The opening scene of the film is absolutly gripping. A man named Theo (Clive Owen) is wandering around London admist the news that the world's youngest person has recently died. As he strolls down the filthy and violent streets an explosion erupts from a nearby store and a young woman, with a missing arm, runs screaming from the building. Then the screen goes black and the title credits appear. Almost instantly, the audience is aware that we are introduced to a world that resmbles ours, but also is seemingly more violent.
The plot is involving, as the world that takes place on the screen does not seem so unrealistic or all that distant in the future. It feels relevant, which makes it genuinely frightening. Theo is reconnected with his ex wife, Julian (Julianne Moore) who wants his help in escorting the pregnant Kee to safety with the Human Rights group to which is belongs. Reluctant at first, Theo and Kee eventually build a sense of trust as they have only one another on which they can rely.
Clive Owen gives an excellent performance. As Theo, he is a man of action and few words. He's the silent, brooding type who builds a tentative relationship with the young woman he is meant to help. Owen portrays his character's painful past through his eyes, never getting into any actual conversations as to his son's death at a young age. There is a wonderful scene where his friend Jasper (Michael Caine) is relating Theo's sad story to Kee, and the audience witnesses the effect the story has on Theo through the emotions on his face. He doesn't say anything regarding his son, yet it is all made visible through Owen's emotions. I never thought of Owen as an incredible actor, but this role really changed my mind and I believe he has Oscar potential. Plus, as a bonus, it was a nice surprise to realize how handsome he is. :)
In the supporting role, Claire-Hope Ashitey is great as the pregnant Kee. She perfects the combination of terror at what surrounds her with genuine excitment over giving birth to a child. She also carries a nice chemistry with Owen's character. Michael Caine is amusing as the hippie friend Jasper, who will stop at nothing to help Kee escape from rebel militants who want her baby more than anything.
Overall, the film was excellent. It was thought-provoking and disturbing. It leaves room for discussion and the ending is both heartbreaking and left suitably ambiguous. I like that there was no clear-cut ending spelled out for us, allowing the audience to have their own interpretations. It was visually stunning and Alfonso Cuaron's directing was top notch, as is always expected from a man with his talent. May he earn at least an Oscar nomination for his tremendous work.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (out of five)