Children of Men (2006)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Alfonso Cuarón

Writers (WGA):

Alfonso Cuarón (screenplay) &
Timothy J. Sexton (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

No children. No future. No hope.

Plot:

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

Plot Keywords:

Future | Birth | Violence | Chaos | Dystopian

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi	...	Baby Diego (as Juan Yacuzzi)
Mishal Husain	...	Newsreader
Rob Curling	...	Newsreader
Jon Chevalier	...	Café Customer
Rita Davies	...	Café Customer
Kim Fenton	...	Café Customer
Chris Gilbert	...	Café Customer
Phoebe Hawthorne	...	Café Customer
Rebecca Howard	...	Café Customer
Atalanta White	...	Café Customer (as Atlanta White)
Laurence Woodbridge	...	Café Customer
Clive Owen	...	Theo Faron
Maria McErlane	...	Shirley
Michael Haughey	...	Mr. Griffiths
Paul Sharma	...	Ian

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

Japan | UK | USA

Language:

English | German | Italian | Romanian | Spanish | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | France:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #42838) | New Zealand:R16 | Hungary:16 | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:18PL (DVD) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | India:A | Spain:13 | South Africa:16LV

Filming Locations:

Admiralty Arch, The Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

After screenwriter Paul Chart wrote the first version of the screenplay, it was re-written a few times by other screenwriters including Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Timothy J. Sexton and director Alfonso Cuarón himself. Finally the final version was written by David Arata, Alfonso Cuarón and Timothy J. Sexton.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Theo overhears Luke's plans to kill him, he wears socks. In the following scenes where he escapes the safe house and pushes the car, he wears shoes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Newsreader: Day 1,000 of the Siege of Seattle.
Newsreader: The Muslim community demands an end to the Army's occupation of mosques.
Newsreader: The Homeland Security bill is ratified. After eight years, British borders will remain closed. The deportation of illegal immigrants will continue. Good morning. Our lead story.

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather (1972)

Soundtrack:

Total State Machine

Utterly transfixed

I went to see this movie without catching any reviews, expecting something rather depressing and underfunded.

Let me stop there and start again.

This movie is a revelation from start to finish. A convincing future world, deftly conveyed with so many subtle signals that I'm sure it will benefit from further viewings. A completely "other" England which I was amazed to see realised in such detail. Clive Owen FINALLY has the heroic role we have been waiting for and is brilliant in it. Julianne Moore simply glows and I've never enjoyed Sir Michael Caine so much before. The soundtrack is beautifully eclectic. Aside from some excellent classical choices, there's an evocative and alternative Spanish take on "Ruby Tuesday" which is a signature on the film. Wait during the end titles to enjoy an excremental song from Jarvis Cocker.

The movie grabbed my attention right from the start, and never let go. Initially, it's the differences of this future world that intrigue. Then, when the action starts, what I found really surprising was the freshness of direction that made me react to bullets and violence as if I'd never seen them in a movie before. If the script wasn't so wonderfully leavened with wit, it would be a grim and scary movie at times.

Finally, the whole thing is lit brilliantly, from the authentic dim English days to the atmospheric ending.

One to watch alongside "The Handmaid's Tale" some time....