[REVIEW] Children of Men

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:52 am

This is not "Blade Runner for the 21st century". Though it does take place in a near-future dystopia kind of thing, that's its only similarity. Well, that and, being a science fiction movie that isn't just about shooting aliens.

The movie is very bleak, and though it clocks it at under 2 hours, seems much longer than it is, due both to the aforementioned bleakness, and also the fact that every frame is just packed with so much detail, so much to look at, that it almost seems like you're watching two or three movies at the same time. The set design on this movie brings to life the most incredibly persuasive and richly imagined world I've seen in a movie since... don't say Blade Runner Blade Runner fuck.

Though it is not a rip-roaring good time, and the themes, if there are any, are hard to discern, it is one of the best made movies I think I've ever seen. A masterful piece of filmmaking, despite its aura of emotional emptiness.

Along those lines, I must mention that while the whole movie is expertly done, it does feature the most astonishing single scene that I've ever seen in a film, and I say this without hyperbole. It is one of those "Saving Private Ryan's Omaha Beach scene" things which, even while surrounded by a high-quality movie, sticks in your head, and obliterates your concept of what is possible on film.

Even if you don't care about the story, and aren't really interested in the movie as a whole, you should definitely rent it just to see this one scene.

I don't need to describe it, because you'll know it when you see it.

Anyway, Children of Men. A must-see.

FOUR (****) STARS, with a BONUS for having the MOST AMAZING SCENE IN MOVIE HISTORY.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:30 pm

I saw this today and I have to say that its lack of "Blade Runner"-ness made it much more bleak, realistic and unsettling. It is not the kind of movie I would see again and again and ... again. It is the kind of movie that I am able to put people on "ignore" for, should they give it a poor review on other fora.

(For instance, there is a guy who normally posts about the New York Yankees on one forum that I set to "ignore." I normally don't use the ignore function, but it's the only way to make Something Awful readable. Anyway, I clicked on this guy's review of Children of Men and it was two out of five stars. What a stupid and worthless piece of shit. I swear this isn't simply correlation. Following the New York Yankees passionately really does make you an uncultured asshole.)

There were a few long takes in the thing, but I presume you (Pinner) are talking about the one towards the end. Answer a question for me, though: we are meant to NOT think that the Human Project picked up Key at the end of the movie, right? All I saw was a boat with "Tomorrow" on it.

Vitriola · Post by **Vitriola** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:22 pm

I like how the author and/or screenwriter almost word for word ripped off Vonnegut talking about the hospital baby schedule thing. The movie was great, but, depending on how closely it followed the book, someone was really, really lazy. I thought the plot was rather formulaic, you knew who was going to die, you knew what everyone's role was, etc., but I blame the book, not the movie (which I liked alot).

Vitriola · Post by **Vitriola** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:05 pm

And now, Kurt Vonnegut is dead.

I will have to re-read Cat's Cradle this weekend.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:22 pm

Vitriola wrote:And now, Kurt Vonnegut is dead.

I will have to re-read Cat's Cradle this weekend.

Yeah. I finally feel like there won't be any revisions to his work now. So I can dive in without the spectre of different revisions hanging over my head. I'm going to try to read that 451 book before too long.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:53 pm

So it goes.

(Also: 451 book? I hope you're not making the mistake that I think you're making, because that would be beyond embarrassing for you, this whole website, and everything you've ever done.)

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:13 pm

Come on now. What do you think? Don't I get the benefit of the doubt at all with you?

Vitriola · Post by **Vitriola** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:17 pm

He may just want to delete his post. I mean, goddamn.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:46 pm

That's exactly what I thought: "Whoa. He might actually want to delete that post."

But he hasn't.

Oh well, there goes the neighborhood.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:09 pm

pinback wrote:That's exactly what I thought: "Whoa. He might actually want to delete that post."

But he hasn't.

Oh well, there goes the neighborhood.

I thought it was his best book next to Animal Farm.

AArdvark · Post by **AArdvark** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:46 pm

Thinking Bradbury rather than Vonnegut? It happens. I think Slaughterhouse Five was his most intense work. That and Harrison Bergeron, which is slowly coming true...

THE
WE ARE ALL
HANDICAPPED
AARDVARK