Children of Men

[shaveice]

wow. i'm blown away. what a great movie. definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea. i think it'll mean much more to those who're old enuf to have kids and know what it's like to cry for joy when you first see your child come into this world and feel the miracle of life first hand...

keep in mind that this is not a comfy feel good movie. my hat's off to the director and the actors for making this movie...

[pzarquon]

Re: Children of Men

I'm very interested in this movie. I'm contemplating just what I can sacrifice to bribe someone to babysit so my wife and I can see it this weekend. I was a bit turned off by the assertion that it's the "Blade Runner of the 21st century" (hey, Blade Runner is the Blade Runner of any century!), but nonetheless the concept and apparently impeccable execution intrigues me a great deal.

Here's the official Children of Men website, the Rotten Tomatoes entry, and the official trailer in various sizes.

[Palama Kid]

Re: Children of Men

Went to see it this afternoon. Very thought-provoking movie.

Just by chance, I caught this afternoon's Sci-Fi Channel's show which had a futurist and others discussing the ramifications of what is happening now and its impact on our future . . . and how this movie may be a forewarning of what might happen.

I liked the ending . . . made you think some more.

[shaveice]

Re: Children of Men

I'm very interested in this movie. I'm contemplating just what I can sacrifice to bribe someone to babysit so my wife and I can see it this weekend.

pzar, i really hope you and your wife will have the chance to watch the movie. i'm almost certain that the two of you will LOVE it. i know from your terrific pictures that you're a family man and this movie definitely strikes a chord with those who know firsthand the miracle and wonder of life.

regarding the links you provided, my 2 cents is that you just know whatever the trailer tells you. you can, but resist the temptation to find out more about the movie before seeing it for yourself.

it has many memorable scenes; i'll definitely be buying the dvd when it comes out.

[shaveice]

Re: Children of Men

I liked the ending . . . made you think some more.

you got that right. i liked the ending too. too bad we can't discuss it online right now...

[pzarquon]

Re: Children of Men

We snuck out for the late showing at Pearlridge. We definitely liked it.

Probably the most inspirational downer movie of the year. But as expected, I loved the basic concept, I definitely loved the execution on a technical level, and also liked the characters (though of the three elements, I'd say this was the weakest point). The "Blade Runner" comparisons I don't get. "1984," maybe, "28 Days Later," maybe, but fortunately, "Children of Men" stands on its own. Could very well be a movie referenced like Blade Runner in future film studies.

My wife and I talked about the significance of the animals seen throughout the film the whole way home, and that was just one theme or element we picked out.

I like that most of the early trailers of this movie were, quite simply, the first couple of minutes of the movie itself. On one hand, you're bummed (as you are about most trailers these days that give away too much), but on the other, that's out of the way quickly and you settle in for the rest.

There are definitely two major "set pieces" in this film. Long shots that are so ambitious, it was actually a little hard -- for a wannabe film geek like me, at least -- to not fall out of the moment just admiring the filmmaking. You find yourself holding your breath, but quickly realize that it's going to go on much, much longer. The switches into "documentary style" camerawork was perfect for the story that was told... though I also know those that get motion sick from frenetic scenes will probably want to sit at the back of the theater.

There's an undercurrent of preachiness, the expected and not-particularly-subtle fingerwagging at the follies of modern culture and politics. Abu Garib, drug marketing, music... But it was just enough to make the point without descending completely into a stern lecture.

I really liked the little touches. The heads-up display in the car. The music player on the shelf. I started scouring every corner of the screen for signs, labels, stickers.

I gotta say, though, as I mentioned, I was more interested in the world the characters were in than the characters themselves, though they were all relatively well developed and certainly interesting. But I didn't feel entirely invested with who these people were, or their motiviations. I'd like to think, though, that this is intentional. That Alfonso Cuaron wanted us to know these individuals, sure, but also wanted us to be able to project on them, to recognize a more basic, common humanity about them.

That said, all good performances. Clive Owen carried this enormous film well. Julianne Moore's turn was strong, and surprising. Michael Caine was great, and has one of the best last lines of any movie character in recent memory (it sure ain't "all those moments will be lost in time..."). Danny Huston's brief scene brought a lot of interesting questions. Peter Mullan almost stole the show.

I definitely think I'd have reacted differently to some scenes than others had I not become a husband or father. It definitely got, as they say, dusty in the theater a couple of times...

Highly recommended.

[Hellbent]

Re: Children of Men

Awesome movie.

I too noticed the long shots in the last part. Michael Caine actually pulled that part off beleivably.

My nephew started to get sick during the shaky camera work.

Now to order the book from amazon....

I like the little touches too. Did you see the newpaper stand and think 'harry potter'? I liked the glass monitors.

What was the significance of the burning cows?

"I am Legend" films this year. Anyone read that one? I wonder how its going to be....

[Hellbent]

Re: Children of Men

I forgot, Will Smith is the lead in I am Legend. The guy who did Constantine is directing.

Heres a wiki on it, but it gives away the story.

For some reason, I thought of I am Legend while thinking of this movie. I guess its also a future apoc movie.

[shaveice]

Re: Children of Men

hey pzar, i'm glad (and not surprised) that you liked the movie. it'd be easy--and i'm sure you'd agree--to sit down and talk about this movie for hours after watching it. a sign of a good movie.

just a few comments that come to mind after reading your post.

* did you know that the movie's loosely based on this book?
http://www.amazon.com/Children-Men-P...e=UTF8&s=books

i haven't read it myself, but reading your post makes me think that you'd appreciate reading the book.

* in the book, julian is the pregnant woman, not kee.

* yeah, i don't get the blade runner connection either.

* ha! ha! yeah, michael caine's last line was memorable. i very much liked the character he played.

* wasn't the car chase scene hillarious???

* not subtle enuf for me: the name of the ship and the name of the gal with the baby...

* huston's role was good but for whatever reason, i liked pam ferris' acting. the character she played was not charasmatic in the least but i grew--to my surprise--to appreciate her heart.

* oh yeah. i liked julianne moore's acting/character.

* i very much liked the scene where michael caine makes a decision involving someone he loves. pzar, you know what scene i'm referring to, right? he knew he'd be expecting company....

* not accidentally, the future world is easily recognizable to our own...

* etc, etc, etc.

such a good movie! if i were the director, i'd be proud of it.

[anapuni808]

Re: Children of Men

If you folks want to discuss in detail this movie/book - out of consideration for the rest of us who were planning to see the movie/read the book:

PLEASE CONSIDER ADDING SOME SPOILER NOTICES TO YOUR POSTINGS!!!!!

For myself, I've kind of lost interest in it now. I'll just wait for the DVD to come out in a few months.

[pzarquon]

Re: Children of Men

THANKS FOR THE TIP!!!

Conversely, if you plan on seeing or reading "Children of Men," and are not a fan of spoilers, avoid things like published movie reviews, coffeehouse discussions, or message board threads about "Children of Men."

I frequently spoil myself silly for every movie and every TV show. I suss out all the detail I can, read reviews and interviews with and comments from directors and actors. When I hear a movie has a twist ending, the first thing I hunt down is a frame-by-frame analysis of said twist. I probably read more about "Children of Men" than I should have. But you know what? It's still worth seeing.

Spoiler tags for the spoiler averse are a good idea. That said, I think we've done a decent job of not spelling out too much... meanwhile sharing our mutual appreciation for some of the elements and touches in this movie.

[anapuni808]

Re: Children of Men

I stand corrected. Thank you PZ for the gentle rebuke. From now on, I will just skip over any threads that could possibly be reviews of any books or movies I'm interested in. I guess spoiler tags are only appropriate when it's a thread about "Lost". After all the practice on how to use spoiler tags a few months ago, I guess I just naturally assumed that was going to be the practice here. Once again - proves the old rule about never assuming anything.

[pzarquon]

Re: Children of Men

Ah, Fran, you're a hoot. I did say, "Spoiler tags for the spoiler averse are a good idea." It just seemed that the FRUSTRATION IMPLIED IN YOUR REQUEST left some room for compromise.

Spoiler tags are great. A courtesy for the spoiler averse. Especially if, say, you're watching "Survivor" on the East Coast and us losers in Hawaii won't know the outcome for six more hours.

But to clarify, their heavy use in the old "LOST" threads was primarily because you had jokers like me sussing out details from filming and other leaks that preceded the airing of an episode by weeks. It would've sucked to read the "big reveal" of Ana Lucia's pre-crash life if you wanted to be surprised a month later. Fortunately, Mel has now separated out the "what's aired on TV" and "what's going on behind the scenes" -- so you can discuss an episode after it airs with everyone else without worrying about spoilers.

Of course, if you further choose to put off watching, reading, or otherwise consuming something that's inevitably going to be a hot topic out there, the world can be a minefield. Those of us with TiVo or DVR know to tread carefully! Some movie fans or book lovers completely shun reviews, trailers, even commercials to keep their minds pure. If you're of that bent, I'd say an enthusiastic discussion of the work on a message board would similarly be something to avoid.

All that said, once again, I don't see any "He's a dude!" grade spoilers here. Just mentions of elements that really stood out. You'd still enjoy the movie, or the book, I'm quite certain.

[Honoruru]

Re: Children of Men

I concur with everyone else on this thread. It’s a very good movie, one of the best, if not the best, movie I’ve seen this year. I thought it was very well directed. Lot of good Mexican directors lately.

[Hellbent]

Re: Children of Men

I generally stay out of threads of things I want to see until after I see them. Its kind of common sense to me.
Also, for the record, I did use a spoiler tag.

Did you watch the Titanic? Did you know before the ship would sink? Did you enjoy the storyline even tho you knew the Titanic would go down? sheesh - its not like we told you everyone dies at the end.

oops.