Children of Men...no plot spoilers, just vaguely thematic rambling...
Um...wow. We saw Children of Men on Saturday and I haven't been able to stop thinking of it since. I've been haunted by it, as if it were some sort of horror film, which in a way it is. I suppose it could be considered a post-apocalyptic tale, a sort of futuristic sci-fi type of film, but there is so much of the familiar in it, so much of the present--that is what gives it it's real power. I think it was that old Max Headroom series that used to begin with something like "Fifteen minutes into the future"...and that's what this feels like. You're watching this story unfold and you're scared and feel as desolate and hopeless as the protagonists, and it's as if we've one foot in that realm already. We've already begun on this path--distrust of "outsiders", loss of rights in the name of "security", sliding down the slippery slope into military states and rebel factions and terrorists--a chaos where everyone is the enemy and nothing makes sense anymore.
It was a full theater when we went, and I think at least some of the folks there had no idea what the movie was going to be about. When it was over people seemed sort of shell-shocked. There was a range of reactions to it. The ending is rather abrupt, and I'm not sure if everyone interpreted it the same way.
Clive is stunning in it, as is Claire-Hope Ashitey--she brings light to the film, a sweet innocence that manages to spark something in Clive's character that has been missing a long time--hope, and a sense of purpose.
I was telling hubby that Clive just has a good mug...heh...there's just something about him here, that even though he says little and we don't know much about him, you feel as if you'd follow him anywhere. You'd trust him with anything. It's just right there, underneath all the sadness and numbness, there's this true goodness.
This is an excellent film, but I warn you, it's very rough and unrelenting. They even shot many of the scenes in one long take because it's a lot of non-stop action. There are tiny moments of sweet humor, but like it is for the characters, it's just enough to keep you from breaking.
I know I'll be thinking about this one a long time.