Review- Children of Men

You know, I don't think that I have ever heard such contradictory opinions of a movie before, and especially before I've seen it. Geoff Pevere, the reviewer from The Star, said that it was the best movie of the year and gave it 4 stars. My friend Marilyn hated it, and said that it was a waste of money. (Although Mar, you seem to have seen quite a different version from the one that is in the theatre. Let me know if you like it any better once you see the current one. Did you get one with an alternate ending?) And my opinion?

Well, I quite liked it, for a number of reasons. For one, I seem to have a thing for books and films that are set in a dystopian future (i.e. V for Vendetta, 1984 etc), and Children of Men fits the bill. I like the way that it speaks to concerns that people are having already about illegal immigration, the effects of pollution & food on fertility, war, national security and so on. The style of filming used in the movie really bolsters the sense that it is in a highly possible future, as it is extremely realistic and really inserts you right into the action.

Another great part about the movie is the acting. Clive Owen, although it has taken him a long time to finally be recognized widely in cinema, is excellent in this movie. His everyman character enables the audience to see themselves in him, and besides, he's great to look at! (Reminds me of my hubby, actually...lol.) Although Julianne Moore's part is quite small, she's also a fantastic actor. I love her in The Hours and Far from Heaven. Trivia here- did you know that Emma Watson (Hermione in Harry Potter) was almost going to play Kee? Now that would have been interesting. And of course, who doesn't love Michael Caine? (Which reminds me...I still have to rent The Quiet American).

Now I can certainly understand some people's problems with the ending. Yes, it is abrupt, and yes, it leaves you hanging, but would you rather that it was all neatly wrapped up and cheesy? I know that I wouldn't, and so I'm not going to complain about how the director chose to handle it. I haven't read the P.D. James novel that it is based on, but I bet she ended it the same way. It just works.

Although I walked into the theatre having heard two conflicting opinions about Children of Men, I walked out feeling like it fell somewhere in the middle. I can't say that it was the best movie of the year (I don't think that two people's opinions on that will ever be the same), but it certainly was a really good one, and everyone that I saw it with really enjoyed it. That's all that I expect out of my $9.00, so I'm satisfied.