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ARTICLE
DVD Review: Children of Men
by Jonathan Baylis Published: March 27, 2007
Rating: Country: UK/USA Release Date: March 27, 2007 Distributor: Universal Director: · Afonso Cuaron Cast: · Clive Owen · Julianne Moore · Michael Caine · Chiwetel Ejiofor Related Sites: ·IMDb ·Official DVD Site
Grade: A
A few months ago, I was told that "Children of Men" might've been the best movie of the year. I probably don't have to state what a good year it was for Latino filmmakers: Alfonso Cuaron with the English-language "Children of Men", Guillermo Del Toro and Pedro Almodovar's Spanish language "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Volver" respectively, and Inarritu's multi-lingual "Babel". I don't know about there being something in drinking water of the greater pool of latino consciousness, but I do know these fine auteurs made it a better year for film overall.
"Children of Men" comes at exactly the right time with my current film viewing. I just watched Cuaron's excellent film "Y Tu Mama Tambien", which I felt was a mature, adult film worthy as a cinematic successor to Bertolucci's "Last Tango in Paris." Why can't there be more films that explore human sexuality in such a fashion, and why can't Americans make them? I also love the fact that Cuaron can make this kind of film, as well as "The Little Princess" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Which some consider the best film in the series.) He reminds me of an old-fashioned, studio director that could take on anything. (I also just saw "Millions" by Danny Boyle of "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later" fame and feel the same way.)
Adapted from a novel by P.D. James, "Children of Men" takes place 20 years into London's future. But this is not an update of "Bladerunner". Cuaron will tell you himself that it's an ANTI-Bladerunner. For me, it was almost a sequel to the Al Gore documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth" (which I also just saw and might be the scariest horror movie I've ever seen.) This future is one where the environment has fought back, creating a world where children are no longer born, the ecology is eroding, and nationalism continues to stir up hatred and unrest. It is a very believable world. But hope exists through an unlikely hero, Theo Faron (Clive Owen). He is reluctantly tasked with a dangerous mission that just might save the world.
Director Alfonso Cuaron
Cuaron's vision is unique and refreshing to behold, but truly frightening to ponder. Clive Owen is fantastic as the anti-hero. I'd much rather see him as this flawed character, than as a slick James Bond any day. Julianne Moore plays Faron's former lover and Michael Caine plays an aging, idealistic hippie. Both are excellent. The inventiveness of the camerawork is incredible. There are quite a few long takes, and the artistry of them are like I've not seen before.
Instead of a director's commentary, Cuaron treats us with "The Possibility of Hope", a documentary on how the revolutionary themes in the film relate to our modern-day society. It features the world's leading futurists and philosophers examining social and economic shifts that find expression in the film. It is an interesting, intelligent, and often scary doc.
Also included are:
Further comments by philosopher and cultural critic, Slavoj Zizek, who was featured in "The Possibility of Hope" as well as a documentary devoted to his teachings simply titled "Zizek!"
Theo and Julian - interviews with Owen and Moore giving insight to their characters and motivations.
Futuristic Designs - Get an in-depth explanation of the concepts behind the creations.
Visual Effects: Creating the Baby - A making of featurette that dives into the many layers behind creating a lifelike baby for the film.
Men Under Attack - D.P. Emmanuel Lubezki breaks down two of the incredibly filmed long takes.
and a few Deleted Scenes
"Children of Men" was certainly better than the nominated films for Best Picture and gets a high recommendation. Watch this, as well as all of Cuaron's other films!
