Harry here... I can't express how much I want to see this movie. Cuaron is just one of the really outstanding filmmakers working in the world today - and getting to see him working with Clive Owen on something is exciting. Here's a spoiler-ish review from DoubleEM in Germany...
Hi Harry, Hi Drew, Hi Merrick thought you guys might be interested in another opinion on „Children of Men“, cause as research shows me, america has to wait until the 25th of december for it opening wide, while over here in germany it starts tomorow and got previewed tonight. Because i know a lot of people don`t want to read through all the reasons why i recommend this movie and just want to have a verdict, here it comes: Go and see this movie. It`s not important if you like it or not. It`s not important how you`ll feel afterwards. It`s not important if you thought that it was a “ballsy” movie or not. It`s just important that you go and see it. Confront yourself with the topics touched by it. Think about them. Not about the conclusion but about the core of it all. This is not a kick-ass scifi-thriller. Well, it is, BUT you just don`t use words like kick-ass and awesome on a movie like this. This is grand cinema. Thoughtfull storytelling. Just go... There you have it. Go...shush.... Now, for those of you who might be interested in the reasons of how i reach this verdict, i`ll get to them but i have to go off topic for a moment. This site is a daily must in my routine and you wanna know why (“NO”)? Just look at the Uwe Boll Talkback. Hilarious! Or at Harry`s Heroes Coment, about why he adores the cheerleader so much. And then there is Vern. Vern is beyond criticism and might even be beyond compare IF there wouldn`t have been the genius known as Neil Cumpton. And here comes the question. Where is he? I mean, come on. Someone who came up with, in my opinion, the best sentence ever written HAS to be somewhere. Who doesn`t remember it? “Lets make a movie so tits, its going to make the first two look gay.” (about RotK). Classic....seriously, get him back. Now, lets get back to “Children of Men”. I try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible. Trust me, the lesser you know, the better. I might have to mention some scenes but they will be out of the movie`s context and so won`t spoil anything. As mentioned, this movie is great and grand. From the first minute on you`re right in there. I can`t imagine that there`s someone who comes to this site and does not know the basic plot, but still: England 2027. Human race faces extinction because of a mysterious infertility. The youngest person on the planet just died (18 years). There is political turmoil all around the world and due to a conflict between nationals and immigrants/refugees. In those times Clive Owen has to protect the one, miraculously, pregnant woman. That`s it. On the surface. Like i said before, it`s best if you know nothing more cause then you won`t be prepared for what lies ahead. There is betrayal, there is humor, there is love, there is violonce (i`ll get to that) but most important of all, there is hope. In this desperate future, one person and the wonder that is birth are the ray of light. The cruelness and desperation the world has reached is perfectly visible due to the art cuaran and his team use to colour the movie. Most of the time you have a gritty, dark, grey look but in the moments where Owen and the ones he protects have some time without being chased or shoot at, there is warmth. The love and concern the unborn child receives or the “home” that is true friendship, is the sun which lightens up the frames. There a moments in the picture full of pure poetry. Reached by camera, light and the story. When you see the “Swing”scene you`ll know what i mean. But those moments are rare. Most of the time the protagonists are on the run. Or hiding from the madeness and violence. Which brings me to that. This movie is brutally realistic when it comes to violonce. There is no stylicised slo-mo shoot-out or explosion thing going on. This is more like SPR. It`s straight. It´s realistic. It`s not nice to see. Trust me, the last 30 min. of this will push you into your seat, especially when you experience the sequence where Owen is trying to reach Kee during a fight between soldiers and “the fish”. Not just because of the tention and the violence but also because of the relation the two of them have achieved. They are bonded. But it`s not just the violence. The political aspects of the story get the same treatment. Cuaran shows his vision of a possible future and the way it is done, it`s not far off to say that it might knock on our doors just about now! He kind of holds up a mirror and says “guys look, it might turn out like this.” Ok, some people might think that it is made in a to obvious message, but in my opinion it is made totally right. At least it is made very very smart! Through small details. Sometimes with a twist, most of the time without! They are everywhere. Small notes to our todayworld which fit perfectly into this dark future and are never far fetched!! All of this does not matter though when it comes to the last third of the movie. Those scenes alone got me to the point to say that Alfonso C. has finished his final exam, but, i thought he did that with the Hippogriff-scene in HP3 (still the best HP-movie imo) or the movie in total. This guy can do anything. I can`t wait to see what he does next. I would love to see him take on something in the spheres of LotR (not the genre, the scope of it). He could pull it off. But he also has a great cast to work with. Clive Owen is, as always, fantastic. I wouldn`t say that any performance will get an oscar notice but that is because of the material. I seriously doubt the academy will include this movie. It just does not “fit”. They will take”Departed” and so on, but not this. Still, Owen is just great. As is Sir Michael Caine. He is the savehaven for Owen. His world of love, fun and life is a reservoir of what is there to live for. Julianne Moore is, also, as always just as great but you could show me a movie in which she stares at a painting and i would love it. Claire-Hope Ashitey as Kee is superb as the vunerable, innocent (not so, but hey) woman as are all the supporting roles. No complaints here. If i would have to name some i would only name a few and those are MINOR complaints and nitpicking. Very minor, very picky. First: i could have done without the AbuGharaib-reference. It just pulls you out of the movie, kind of, because it`s so obvious. Then i could have done without the “wicked”. It just doesn`t fit. Especially the second time. One other thing i noticed is that the “good” guys seem to drive french cars (seriously!) and Clive at one time smokes a cigarette where the filter is getting lit, meaning, the false way around, and just keeps on smoking!. As said, nitpicking and MINOR. I might think about the ending, i kind of hoped for a more...ahhhh, forget it. Otherwise, it simply ads up. Everything. This movie is one of the best of the year. Slowly i realize just how good it is cause it`s just been hours since i`ve seen it. Everything is still fresh and in my mind and i`m shure it`s going to stay there awhile as well as that i say that my verdict and reaction to the movie will not change. I might only appreciate it even more. That should be all, go see this, DoubleEM out.....
