It is above all the look of "Children of Men" that stirs apprehension in the heart. Is this what we are all headed for?
In today's unstable and unpredictable world, where hate amongst beliefs and nations is on the rise, the movie Children of Men gives us a prediction of what a world of xenophobia, trumpism and wall-building will look like.
In a future world where women have lost the ability to have children, which has assorted to natural disasters, wars and terrorist acts rendered most of the world ungovernable, uninhabitable or anarchic.
Britain stands as the only nation in relative order through extreme nationalistic and fearsome political system.
Its 2027 and 18 years has passed since the last child has been born.
Theo an apathetic government bureaucrat turns to his roots as a political activist after finding out that there is still hope left for humanity.
Theo helps the pregnant migrant Kee get to safety with the Human Project.
What truly amazes me in Children of Men is how as the plot moves along its linear path following Theo, the camera often becomes preoccupied with its environment, the background.
The effect this gives out is that we break free from our main character Theo, and see imagery Theo doesn't see and we are forcefully shown the perspective of the movie itself.
ike all other movies, the background plays a significant role, but in the case of Children of Men the work with foreground and background is significant.
Cultural references are seen in the background many times throughout the movie.
A pig floats above the powerstation at Theos cousin ark of arts, that represents Pink Floyds album 'Animals' which is a reference to the book 'Animal Farm', a story about socialistic authoritism or Stalinism.
The performances are crucial, because all of these characters have so completely internalized their world that they make it palpable, and themselves utterly convincing.
Alfonso Cuaron fulfills the promise of futuristic fiction; characters do not wear strange costumes or visit the moon, and the cities are not plastic hallucinations, but look just like today, except tired and shabby. Here is certainly a world ending not with a bang but a whimper, and the film serves as a cautionary warning. The only thing we will have to fear in the future, we learn, is the past itself. Our past. Ourselves.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time.
My rating: 10/10
CHILDREN OF MEN (2007)
Cast
- Clive Owen as Theo Faron
- Julianne Moore as Julian Taylor
- Michael Caine as Jasper
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Luke
- Clare-Hope Ashitey as Kee
- Pam Ferris as Miriam
Directed by
- Alfonso Cuaron
Written by
- Cuaron
- Timothy J. Sexton
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Foreign, Science Fiction, Thriller
Rated R: for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity
Length: 109 min.
(In order not to spoil anything I have chosen not to write much about the plot)
If you seen tell what you thought!
If not... WATCH IT!