Children of Men is one of the bleakest films I have seen in a very long time. That does not mean it was bad, just very depressing. Alfonso Cuaron crafted a dark future tapped directly from the depths of you worst Orwellian nightmare. Apparently, in the near future, the human race will be struck impotent. It's unclear what has actually caused this(God's wrath is hinted at), but the world has also fallen apart at the seams as well. Britain is in full militarized, isolationist mode, and Big Brother has totally stomped on the populace. Although a paranoid, dark movie, there is a familiar ray of hope for the downtrodden. The story moves along at a fair clip, slowing only for a chance for the audience to grow attached to the heroes. Without spoiling anything, the climax of this picture is extremely powerful, utilizing almost no dialogue and relying heavily on the actors' (all of them) performances. It blew me away.
Clive Owen (Shoot 'Em Up, Sin City) plays Theo, the broken hero. Claire-Hope Ashitey is marvelous as the heroine Kee. She brings a depth and reality to her character that is normally not seen in such a young actress. Michael Caine and Julianne Moore round out the main cast with wonderful performances of their own, especially Caine. He was brilliant as the father figure to Theo, providing a very necessary comic dimension.
There's a lot to absorb from this story, try to take as much as you can in on your first viewing, because, as I said, it is very bleak (if you saw The Road, you'll know what I mean). Fantastic performances and a taut, smart script make this movie, definitely, worth a watch. 8/10.
Tomorrow's movie: a remake of the 1978 monster fish tale: Piranha. Loved the first one as a kid, hope to like this. See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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