Killing Me Softly...
Yep, we finally went back to the movies...
URGA MOTW:
Children of Men
Haven't heard of this film? Me neither, dunno if they've even bothered advertising it. But motokomaharet suggested it, and it seemed interesting enough from the precis on GU's website, so we went :)
So, the basic concept: It is 2027, and we're in London. Some 18 years ago, the human race rapidly became infertile, so there's been no new child born for that long. Disaster in the world at large has turned Britain into a closed border country, and all immigrants and non-citizens are illegal and are put away in 'Refugee Camps' (no better than Concentration Camps, except there's no indication of systemic mass executions taking place). The 'fugees, as they are called, are the biggest problem to the country, and it's pretty much all the government has control over. A terrorist - or perhaps liberation - group called the Fishes kidnaps our protagonist, Department of Energy worker Theo (Clive Own) and asks him for a favour. Why would he comply? Well, the leader of the Fishes is Theo's ex-girlfriend Julian (Julianne Moore), and they had a child together about 20 years ago, when Theo was young and a political activist like Julian still is. Their child unfortunately died many years ago, and Theo hasn't seen Julian since.
Well, now she's got him, what does she want him to do? Get transit papers from his cousin in the government to get a 'fugee girl away to the coast, so she can get out of England. Theo ends up along on the journey with the girl Kee, and a few others... only to discover the importance of the whole matter - Kee is pregnant. With a lot of double dealing and backstabbing going on, can Theo get Kee away to the coast and into the hands of the mythical Human Project, who will try to return humanity's fertility?
Sound complicated? It is. You really have to pay attention during this film - keep your eyes and ears open - to understand the big picture of this future London, as well as the history of the characters. It's actually a very well developed world, and not everything is explicitly stated in main dialogue - you pick up bits from background newscasts and advertisements (TV and print) and overheard conversations etc. The main storyline is about the infertility in the world - and the supposed dry spell broken by Kee's pregnancy - and a lot of the other parts of the world (Britain's fascism, home suicide kits, the prophetic Uprising, the Human Project, and the Fishes) are just the 'setting' although there could probably be quite a lot of other stories told in this world.
Because of these factors, the film isn't as clear cut as a lot of Hollywood Sci Fi films (where there's a single 'future' idea, and that's what the plot is about) but that just makes it more interesting. The camera work involves a lot of handheld - which is kind of jerky, but does add to the 'war documentary' feel of the piece, which is probably why the director (Alfonso Cuaron) chose to shoot parts that way. The cast is strong on the whole, and some familiar faces known for their acting talents rather than star power (Owen, Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, etc.) carry the story along quite well, and portray the characters with depth, they are not just 2-dimensional cardboard cutouts.
As the story progresses - about an hour or so in - I realised there was no way they could completely resolve all the planned hints dropped earlier in the film - and I was right. Although I doubt this film will have a sequel (it doesn't end that way!) not all questions raised are answered, and the ending is fairly bleak (but not sad!). However, this is perfectly fitting with the tone of the rest of the film - it's a bleak world, and although we don't end on a note of "Humanity is Saved!", there is still that hope as the screen fades to black...
A great science fiction story - very much unlike the Hollywood Sci-Fi Action movies we tend to see. This one is thought provoking, bleak, and shows a little of humanities' highs and lows. Which is what good SF is all about - exploring the human condition.
7/10
URGA MOTW:
Children of Men
Haven't heard of this film? Me neither, dunno if they've even bothered advertising it. But motokomaharet suggested it, and it seemed interesting enough from the precis on GU's website, so we went :)
So, the basic concept: It is 2027, and we're in London. Some 18 years ago, the human race rapidly became infertile, so there's been no new child born for that long. Disaster in the world at large has turned Britain into a closed border country, and all immigrants and non-citizens are illegal and are put away in 'Refugee Camps' (no better than Concentration Camps, except there's no indication of systemic mass executions taking place). The 'fugees, as they are called, are the biggest problem to the country, and it's pretty much all the government has control over. A terrorist - or perhaps liberation - group called the Fishes kidnaps our protagonist, Department of Energy worker Theo (Clive Own) and asks him for a favour. Why would he comply? Well, the leader of the Fishes is Theo's ex-girlfriend Julian (Julianne Moore), and they had a child together about 20 years ago, when Theo was young and a political activist like Julian still is. Their child unfortunately died many years ago, and Theo hasn't seen Julian since.
Well, now she's got him, what does she want him to do? Get transit papers from his cousin in the government to get a 'fugee girl away to the coast, so she can get out of England. Theo ends up along on the journey with the girl Kee, and a few others... only to discover the importance of the whole matter - Kee is pregnant. With a lot of double dealing and backstabbing going on, can Theo get Kee away to the coast and into the hands of the mythical Human Project, who will try to return humanity's fertility?
Sound complicated? It is. You really have to pay attention during this film - keep your eyes and ears open - to understand the big picture of this future London, as well as the history of the characters. It's actually a very well developed world, and not everything is explicitly stated in main dialogue - you pick up bits from background newscasts and advertisements (TV and print) and overheard conversations etc. The main storyline is about the infertility in the world - and the supposed dry spell broken by Kee's pregnancy - and a lot of the other parts of the world (Britain's fascism, home suicide kits, the prophetic Uprising, the Human Project, and the Fishes) are just the 'setting' although there could probably be quite a lot of other stories told in this world.
Because of these factors, the film isn't as clear cut as a lot of Hollywood Sci Fi films (where there's a single 'future' idea, and that's what the plot is about) but that just makes it more interesting. The camera work involves a lot of handheld - which is kind of jerky, but does add to the 'war documentary' feel of the piece, which is probably why the director (Alfonso Cuaron) chose to shoot parts that way. The cast is strong on the whole, and some familiar faces known for their acting talents rather than star power (Owen, Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, etc.) carry the story along quite well, and portray the characters with depth, they are not just 2-dimensional cardboard cutouts.
As the story progresses - about an hour or so in - I realised there was no way they could completely resolve all the planned hints dropped earlier in the film - and I was right. Although I doubt this film will have a sequel (it doesn't end that way!) not all questions raised are answered, and the ending is fairly bleak (but not sad!). However, this is perfectly fitting with the tone of the rest of the film - it's a bleak world, and although we don't end on a note of "Humanity is Saved!", there is still that hope as the screen fades to black...
A great science fiction story - very much unlike the Hollywood Sci-Fi Action movies we tend to see. This one is thought provoking, bleak, and shows a little of humanities' highs and lows. Which is what good SF is all about - exploring the human condition.
7/10