Sponsor PFCOne
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading ...
Children of Men (2006)
An extraordinary visual ride.
Theo (Clive Owen) walks into a coffee shop flooded by people watching a breaking news of accidental death of a youngest human alive, 18 yr old ‘Baby Diego’. The year is 2027. Theo walks out of the coffee shop and waits outside a little far from the entrance to light his cigarette when suddenly there is a loud bang and we see the coffee shop blown apart. Though I saw this scene during Children of Men’s Best Cinematography nomination during 2006 Academy Awards, I still was shocked at second viewing and wanted to applaude for the directorial skill .
Children of Men is a dystopian story set in 2027 UK. While Government is on a ‘Holocaust’ like mission to hunt down illegal immigrants and deport them, a group of people called ‘Fishes’ is showing resistance. But above all the greatest problem the humanity is facing is the absolute infertility. There have been no recorded births since last 18 years. Among this turmoil Theo gets a request from his ex wife Julian (Julianne Moore) to have a refugee transported to a safe location. As story continues a girl is found to be miraculously pregnant and now Theo wants to save her from the tyranny of the Army soldiers and Fishes. The premise of the story sure pulls you towards this movie but what you see is even more stunning.
The list of accolades starts with Alfonso Cuaron, who previously directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2003). Just like the amazing last sequence shot in two points of view at the end of Harry Potter, Children of Men has three single take sequences. The first car chase scene that starts with Theo taking a nap and continues till the pull over by the cops, is the greatest chase I have ever seen. Though the complexity of this chase scene and the single take war sequence makes them as impossible as a human being living 200 years, the CGI effects are of course expected but the important thing is the way the post production unit put it together. It is seamless. The smooth continuity makes those single take scenes a visual beauty. No doubt it was made easier for the post production unit by Mr Cuaron’s pre mind set of how this film is going to look like. Simply brilliant and unforgettable.
Next up is screenwriting for this visual treat. There was contribution from about six people, including the director himself. One of the memorable dialogues is Jasper’s (Michael Caine) explanation of entanglement of faith and chance. Also the conversation between Theo and Julian is interesting. The pace of the movie is well tackled. When Theo has to follow the messenger right after a dog-race is quite fast paced and explains the quality of time and also gives director more than one opportunity to create surprising acts in the event of pace.
Acting department has some very solid performances. Clive Owen’s reaction when Jasper is talking about faith and chance or when he tries stands alone in the woods right after the car chase makes him the number one person to watch for. Michael Caine also delivers a powerful performance as Jasper. Claire Hope Ashitey as Kee is another actor with extended limits. She is quite natural. Julianne Moore looked more concerned about pronouncing the right accent, but did not distract from the movie.
In the end I would like to say that watch this movie. Solid direction, acting and striking images make this one unforgettable.
My rating: 8/10.
20 Responses to “Children of Men (2006)”
Leave a Reply
Our Comments Policy : The following kinds of comments are troll capped, blocked and/or commenter's identity reported publicly: Verbal abuse, personal attacks, hate statements, spam, trolls, advertising. Please assist us in keeping the comments clean. Use the contact form to let us know if you find unwarranted comments on PFC. Thank you.
This film really captivated me. I’ve seen it thrice now, and everytime I discover more of the brilliance in the production design, the exceptional cinematography and editing. The world Cuaron creates is chilling, and the claustrophobia of it really hits you.
HOWEVER, I personally had 1 major issue with the screenwriting: the basic premise of the film was that in this world, humans can no longer reproduce. The entire story revolved around this point. However, in that realm, the film became a simple thriller, because it failed to really develop and explore that issue. Instead, Cuaron focuses on a paranoid political scenario about the internment of immigrants and so on, which was a fascinating backdrop, but it wasn’t what the story set out to be. For me, because the script forgot or chose to forget its very premise, Children Of Men will always be that movie that COULD have been a masterpiece of its kind.
@vijay
the story never purported to be ‘about’ the infertility issue. it was, as u said, just a premise.. backdrop..
u really cant fault the script department for that. this is the story they wanted to tell and so they told it. period!
all vfx designers love it when people come out of the movie and say they loved the effects. they love it even more when the audience gets it wrong in ‘where they thought cgi’ was used.
children of men is one such film. the effects here are so seemless and unidentifiable (the last war scene is soo perfect) that people think of other scenes when they are talking in terms of effects.
one scene which cries out CGI CGI!! was missed by most of my friends.
the baby birth scene .
it was a cgi baby composited into live action.
children of men is ONE movie which has used the remarkable capabilities of CGI to aid the script (and a rocking script at that)…
well choreographed
and
non-intrusive CGI effects…
mebe all this CGI talk does warrant a separate post…
mebe later
Oh, Vijay, this is what I loved so much about this movie!!!!
First, I do agree that by turning a sci-fi novel into a thriller, something was lost. But, I felt that the infertility/immigrant plotline was used to highlight what I felt was the true theme of the film, which is the commodification of human life in a time and place when it is no longer being created.
And, Jateen, in your review you mention that Diego Rivera was “accidentally” killed, but he was actually murdered by a rabid fan after turning the fan down for an autograph - a victim of his own dissillusionment of his fame and his being seen as a commodity just because he is the youngest human on earth.
I have wanted to write a review about some of the points I haven’t read anywhere else, but have never been able to find the correct words for. That is, did anyone notice that it was the women in the film who worked to protect the child, and the men (with the rare exception of the film’s heros) who worked to exploit it? That in a world where everyone is against everyone else, the cries of a child becomes a uniting factor, as if the lack of births is somehow responsible for the polarization of society as resources become precious?
Holy cow, I have to work or I could go on. Thanks Jateen for reminding me of what an amazing film this is!!!
@Dpac - Sorry man but I disagree. The story always set out to be about humans being unable to reproduce. The goal there was to protect the first baby being born in years! I understand t!’s point about it being a uniting factor in some way, but for me personally, if I am going to be placed in this world where something drastic like total human infertility is taking place, I would like to be told why, especially because saving baby now becomes the protagonist’s goal, that sets him off on his journey. As a viewer the screenwriter’s intent is of no consequence to me. I am simply reacting to what I saw on screen. You may react more favorably. I still love this movie, but I have my issues with it.
This was the best film of 2006 for me. The long shots. I actually like CLIVE OWEN now. Cuaron is one of my fav. I wish he was making SHANTARAM & Charlie’s War.
Mmmmmm, Clive Owen.
I would pay $10 just to watch him eat dinner for two hours…
Really, I think he is one of the most interesting actors working right now, although he is beginning to become typecast in his roles. Mainak, why not Clive?
If u like clive owen watch “I’ll sleep when I die” I liked it its bit slow but owen rocked in it.
Because I saw CLIVE OWEN driving BMW Cars in 10 short films with a wooden face. It took me years to get rid of that image of him. It took some scenes of CLOSER with Julia ROberts & CHildren of Men to change my mind.
Clive Owen was MINDBLOWING in Closer! I love the look on his face when he realizes in the Aquarium that he’s been set up by Jude Law! “That baaastaardd!”
t!: In my review I mentioned what I recieved from the movie. The basic premise of infertility and imigration was just a start of the movie. Conveyance of underlying messages was never made evident, maybe except at one point when all the soldiers stop shooting when they see the first baby. So apparently ‘even men tried to save the baby’.
To me this was just a well directed and executed thriller about saving a woman and her child through the horrifics of human creations like war.
The premise of the story and its antiquarian, sociological, anthropological connotations aside, the one thing that really stuck out was the absolutely amazing shot in the refugee camp. That must have been a solid 10 minutes long scene. Goes from outdoors through a bus back outdoors to indoors, and up 3 stories. Has a tank and troops firing and blowing things up. The camera steadily follows Theo in the middle of an urban battlefield and inside a building. Not sure if anyone else has noticed it, but the camera that’s following the character on the move, at places, actually becomes the character’s point of view. I’m still in awe as to how on earth they could have done such a critical scene - with so much happening - in a single freaking take.
Also the one scene where one of the key characters get killed by a bullet during a car ride - I kept wondering how the cameraman could have maneuvered 360 degrees in such a small place - and yes I think there was a cameraman cause at the end of the scene the “camera” gets out of the car and sees it drive away - unless it was two different shots, shot at two different locations - with some plate work.
My hat off to Alfonso Cuar
Yes WB I was blown by the same stuff. That 10 minute shot was too much. One of the most well choreographed shots in cinema. I loved that when some dirt falls on the lens they kept going.
Forgot to mention that this shot, reminded me of that other evergreen continuous shot, which Marty did for Good Fellas. Guru aadmi hai.. he has done all that, already.
You should see the start of TOUCH OF EVIL. ORSON WELLES had already done this before marty sharty were even born. Altman plays a tribute to that shot in the start of SHORT CUTS( my 2nd fav long shot now) In that long shot 2 characters even talk about the long shot of Touch of Evil. Isnt that cool?
Short Cuts is great. My fav Altman experience.
@vijay
i agree, even i was waiting for a ‘reason’ behind the infertility fiasco. but the cause for the infertility, nobody knows( as is mentioned in the movie). and this particular thread takes place after 18 years of living in such a world. so i guess its fair to let it remain as a premise and get on with the story.
for Clive Owen fans..
check out CROUPIER it was the movie which made him so to say.
Guru Fincher was impressed with him in Croupier, and so he cast him for the BMW series. (check them out too- impressive shorts wrt to screenplay and shtories with mr owen as the ‘cool wooden faced’ driver)
then came Altman and Gosford Park.
Closer remains till date his most versatile work
@wb
the long sequences are one of a kind. it took them 14 days to get the final sequence right for the war torn building sequence. dunno how many shoots with each reshoot taking 5 hours!!
they had no idea how to shoot the car chase till the 11th hour (about 5 days prior to the shoot schedule) and in came Doggicam Systems with the special rig.
most of the CGI was done by Framestore_CFC and DNeg
for more on COM vfx, check out the CineFx mag or http://www.fxguide.com/article390.html
Dpac….
you are like a encyclopedia of film trivia man!
thanks for all the info.
And yeah OWEN was great in GODSFORD PARK. I love that film.
***some spoilers ahead***
didn’t read this on purpose when it was first posted bc i wanted to watch the film first.. just finished watching it, and i think i was more impressed with the style and the production of the film, than the film itself.. it was just one of those “could’ve beens” for me as a film. i was blown away by all the one-take shots.. cuaron and his production team excels in this. and the whole time it kept me wondering how they achieved what they achieved. the birth, the baby, the car scenes.. i was waiting so earnestly for the movie to get over just so i could watch the special features and learn about the behind-the-scenes. again, one of the reasons this movie was a “could’ve been”. the story is definitely unique too, don’t get me wrong.. and yes, at times i was wondering what was going to happen, but you knew all along it was gonna be a happy ending for kee and her baby, but not for owen.. that’s just how these stories end..
special mention to the actors.. clive portrayed theo to the T.. ordinary man stuck in an extraordinary situation.. clumsy, a bit of a drunk.. least of what most typical “heroes” are.. watch when he twists his ankle after escaping from syd.. that continuity is kept up in the subsequent scenes (good job continuity supervisor!).. michael caine, reliable as always, makes for an endearing jasper.. as soon as he takes them into shelter.. you pretty much know and await his fate.. “pull my finger” :)) he keeps this up until his unfortunate death..
oh the technology!! the doggicam was definitely a landmark invention.. i haven’t come across any other movie that has done this, so i LOVED it.. watch the special features guys.. i was more amazed by that than the movie itself..
telecharger party poker…
Parte jouer au poker argent giochi baccarat bonus casino on net casino sanremo online scaricare video poker…