Watched it for the first time on DVD.

The beginning of the film up until the car chase sequence that led to the death of the revolutionary group's leader was quite uninvolving because of the unfamiliar setting with many embedded presumptions. But from then on, as the protagonist's mission became known, one was more concerned with the story. Also, the futuristic chaotic scenario no longer felt distant thanks to the gripping camera work and convincing setup of the scenes. The cinematography and editing did a brilliant job in allowing one to closely witness every move by the protagonist (played by Clive Owen). I was held in awe by each of the several prolonged chase-and-run sequences.

The story is simple. In a time when the world is punctuated by human infertility, Theo, a British ex-activist-turned-bureaucrat, finds out that an African refugee girl (Kee) in Britain is pregnant with what could be the first child of the human race in 18 years. To get to the Human Project, the supposedly only safe place for the mother and child, Theo and Kee run from the British government spreading white terror against refugees and the refugees' rights activists needing a poster child to advance their cause. The film follows their journey.

Characterization is simplistic. Theo is portrayed as the only hero who has the will (though changing over the course) and the capability to save the mother and child. Sometimes character simplicity might be necessary for dramatic effect and contrast. But I had a hard time swallowing this kind of one-man heroism. Also, I would like to point out that in the film, the general people living under the British government are portrayed as passive non-participants in any governmental action against the refugees. (To KJ posters: how differently would you conjure up the futuristic scenario if you were the screenwriter? Would you see the citizens as participants, assuming Britain was a representative democracy before the human infertitlity?)

The film has an underlying pacifist message. It speaks against those who put their loyalty to national identity and ideology above everything else. And it seems to suggest people's caring for each other is the most valuable human quality.

Brush aside our differences and bring on some love.


Grade: B

I most likely become an outcast now but....

didn't find this film the next classic but it was good. However the treatment of this film as the great film our time, now has made me dislike the film more. It a good film, but its not greatest film ever!
The futuristic subject matter was the interesting part however the film abandoned it throughout the film.

I give the film a B-/C+.

Yeah i found films like this, Dreamgirls, Departed to be nothing better then B-.




Then you wonder why Citizen Kane is the number 1 film. People force the film down your throat and say love it or your a moron. That attitude givin to this film has made me dislike this film.

I pity your inability to get when somebody is taking the piss.

Everyone thought Crash was deep... so I thought it was even worse than it was.

You're right. I don't own any dice. But what does that have to do with me hating Crash even more because people love it so much?

My favorite part is where he's on the run from both cold blooded killers and the government which is supposedly oh-so-bad and so naturally he drives to his elderly relatives' house to guarantee they will get killed.

I'm guilty of taking preconceptions to the cinema too, and I think I know how it works for me.

There's three elements to any film. Bits that I can't help loving, bits that I can't help hating, and bits that could go either way depending on how charitable or cynical I'm feeling. Sentimental bits that I could hate if I wanted to, or daring things that don't quite work 100% (do I commend the guts or lament the failure?). Kids who are either cute or obnoxious, depending on what sort of day that I've had. A film with great action scenes but a slightly dubious "message" - which do I focus on?

If I actively *want* to love a film, all the third category are going to go in the film's favour. If I don't have that emotional investment in the film being good, they might not. If I've decided in advance that the film will suck, all the third category will count against the film. Any film that has my goodwill can expect to sway me on the middle ground. And since I love an underdog, a film's popularity might affect my goodwill.

I think most film-goers get this - e.g., I think most of us have noticed Subtitle Syndrome, where people just root for a foreign film more because they want to be the kind of people that like foreign films, or people will put up with all manner of crap from culty films because, well, they're culty.

To bring this back on-topic, one of the reasons I was so impressed by Children of Men was I wanted to hate it, so, in terms of my little internal film-going world, it was like a paralympian taking gold in the regular Olympics: it won with a handicap.

You hear about this film on this site, called the greatest film of all time or of recent times or the best movie of the year and you watch it and you go....

DID I Miss something???

It was a great film, but flawed and could have been better. It should of shown more in detail about the world around them. That was when the film was great, but it become way to much of a personal story in the middle.

Amazing film. The cinematography is groundbreaking, the acting perfect. The film is so intense and gripping. I loved the ending, even if it was a little abrupt.

A+

You think? Really?

I thought the fact it didn't focus too much on the intricacies of the world was part of what made it great. The detail was filled in by small moments, flashes of information that came together to build a compelling, realistic and complete vision of the future.

Yes.

The whole point of the film is that it's just a small, personal, intimate story. The world is just the setting, just the catalyst for the story. This is not some sort of futuristic epic, nor is it meant to be.

just wanted to say this film is so overrated it is ridiculous.

Can we make a proper dystopia film for once!!!

Ok I gotta admit I didn't like this when I first saw this and my 2 friends who I saw it with thought I was nuts. I thouht it was ridiculous how much praise it was getting and i thouht it was higly overrated. But I saw it again....and then one more time and I absolutely loved it. I mean these dystopian really really depress me which makes me tend to not like them as much. But this movie is absolutely brilliant. Gorgeous cinematography. Great acting. VERY suspenseful. I definitely think that this should have bumped off Letters from Iwo Jima and gotten that Best Pic nomination. Def in my top 10 of '06. Maybe top 5. A

they did not focus enough on how the world would be and that is something that is true in almost every film of this type.

You're basically a moron, you know that?

I think one must first ask oneself: Have I come to terms with my own inner moron?

In every dystopia film, the original book is much better then the film.


I remember watching an 1984 remake and well the only interesting part of the film is when they showed how the world is.

This is also true for this film as well.

I think Children of Men is the best overrated movie at WOKJ (if that makes some sense).

Well, it's superior to The New World, at least.

I thought this was one of the very best movies that 2006 had to offer. It definitely snuck up on me. Even with the talent involved, I wasn't expecting something up to the level the film ended up at. It's a true action film with brains. Or a drama with heavy violence. Either one applies. Clive Owen gives one of his best performances to date as Theo, his character arc perfectly defining the movie's shift from a helplessly depressing vision of a crumbling world to a representation of hope for a very troubled time.

Rating: 4 stars out of 4 (A)

Wow... 2 years on and still not a single F - and that despite the backlash!

Truly an awe-inspiring film.

I don't really see how this film could be considered a complete failure on any level. Even for the unimpressed, the acting, story, direction, action, etc. have something of worth.

I love this film so much!

WeLL pretty much everything has been said about this fiLm so I'm just going to say that I Love everything about it especiaLLy the production design, cinematography and the music of course; its aLL beautifuL. Best fiLm of 2006 next to The Departed.

A

Is this still the longest thread in the Critic section? Or has something overtaken it? Will this post get the thread onto the 22nd page? Only one way to find out...

*posts*

Ah nuts...