The Movie "Children of Men"

[toblix]

If you can name a movie that gives you more of a Half-Life 2 feeling than this, you're from the future!

Also, Children of Men is totally fucking awesome, excellent, wonderful and totally cool, neat, sweet and hip! I love it as much as I hate those who disagree with me. What's wrong with it? Nothing, that's what. The maths are simple: awesome movie plus HL2 mood or whatever equals fucking fantastic! Plus you can see a vagina!

[hermes]

I agree totally with everything you say. Best movie I saw in a long time (don't know about the halflife part though - but haven't played hl2)...

Its the best dystopian description at how current xenophobic tendencies could work out in the future - plus it isn't hollywood as such - so it handles themes which easily could become nauseous in a hollywood production.

[Coldkill]

Children of Men is an awesome film!

Although the people who I went to see it with didn't like it.

[Moosferatu]

Yeah, I love Children of Men, and it also very much reminded me of HL2 as well. I saw it in a small art theater while I was in Hungary this past Christmas. I'm pretty sure that my dad and I were the only two people in the theater who got Michael Caine's joke involving the stork. Also, Zizek really loves the movie. Check out some of the stuff he's said about it over at the official site.

[Jayel]

I very much like the way it's shot. It gives the whole documentary feel.

[LOPcagney]

Yeah, I love Children of Men, and it also very much reminded me of HL2 as well. I saw it in a small art theater while I was in Hungary this past Christmas. I'm pretty sure that my dad and I were the only two people in the theater who got Michael Caine's joke involving the stork. Also, Zizek really loves the movie. Check out some of the stuff he's said about it over at the official site.

What was the stork joke again?

I thought Michael Caine was brilliant anyhow. I especially like the description of his (by some reviewer or someone) as the last happy person in the world. I thought that was just such an amazingly profound description of his character. I did pick up a certain Half-Life 2 vibe from it. Not through the entire movie, but:

(spoiler) when they are rowing the boat out into the ocean from that sewage pipe reminded me of Half-Life's frequent dock/canal stretches.

Also, there's the whole European flavor of both the game and the movie.

My favorite part:

(spoiler) When the two walk out of the building holding the baby and there's silence. It shows that the enemy isn't just a faceless killing machine. Everyone in the movie wants something, and it's when their interests collide that you have conflict. The soldiers just want to get paid, or maybe put down the rebellion if they're really patriotic. The insurgents want the baby for their cause. Anyway, what was actually favorite part came when the bomb went off and everyone instantly started firing at the building again. Something about it really moved me. Kind of like there's no resolution to the endless combat even when noone wants to continue to fight. I'm not sure I can verbalize what that scene did for me, but it was a nice, warm feeling I haven't had in a movie theater for a long time.

[LOPcagney]

What was the stork joke again?

I thought Michael Caine was brilliant anyhow. I especially like the description of his (by some reviewer or someone) as the last happy person in the world. I thought that was just such an amazingly profound description of his character. I did pick up a certain Half-Life 2 vibe from it. Not through the entire movie, but:

(spoiler) when they are rowing the boat out into the ocean from that sewage pipe reminded me of Half-Life's frequent dock/canal stretches.

Also, there's the whole European flavor of both the game and the movie.

My favorite part:

(spoiler) When the two walk out of the building holding the baby and there's silence. It shows that the enemy isn't just a faceless killing machine. Everyone in the movie wants something, and it's when their interests collide that you have conflict. The soldiers just want to get paid, or maybe put down the rebellion if they're really patriotic. The insurgents want the baby for their cause. Anyway, what was actually favorite part came when the bomb went off and everyone instantly started firing at the building again. Something about it really moved me. Kind of like there's no resolution to the endless combat even when noone wants to continue to fight. I'm not sure I can verbalize what that scene did for me, but it was a nice, warm feeling I haven't had in a movie theater for a long

time.

On a different topic, lets all discuss what we think the name Children of Men means. I thought it was referring to a world born from men, hinting at the violence and chaos. Children of women would be children brought into a caring world where they were wanted and loved. Children of men are the hardenned, brutal adults portrayed in this movie. The new baby-less world is a "child of man", a product of the brutal and barbaric facet of humanity, and therefore a world unfit for any newborn children.

[toblix]

Interestingly, in the novel, which is also named Children of Men, it was the men who were infertile, not the women. Somebody forgot to translate the title!

[Roderick]

It was made after a book? I thought the comic Y: The Last Man would have been the obvious inspirator. Ah well. Due to my expectations of the movie (I was expecting something more apocalyptic and less personal) it wasn't really what I had expected to see. It warrants a second viewing.

[Mel]

It was made after a book?

It was written by P.D. James who is best known for her mystery novels (I've read them all). This is one book of hers I haven't read yet though.

Here's an excerpt from the site.

[hermes]

On a different topic, lets all discuss what we think the name Children of Men means. I thought it was referring to a world born from men, hinting at the violence and chaos. Children of women would be children brought into a caring world where they were wanted and loved. Children of men are the hardenned, brutal adults portrayed in this movie. The new baby-less world is a "child of man", a product of the brutal and barbaric facet of humanity, and therefore a world unfit for any newborn children.

That is so sexist....

[LOPcagney]

That is so sexist....

I know. I had the same reaction to the movie title, but that's the only interpretation that could make sense to me. But my friend's mom had the same oppinion. The name in itself is kind of sexist, I guess. Calling it Children of (Men or Women) would have in some way drawn a sexist comparison. I'm no sexist.

Do you have a better explanation?

[hermes]

I know. I had the same reaction to the movie title, but that's the only interpretation that could make sense to me. But my friend's mom had the same oppinion. The name in itself is kind of sexist, I guess. Calling it Children of (Men or Women) would have in some way drawn a sexist comparison. I'm no sexist.

Do you have a better explanation?

No - I was mostly being "funny" - the point was that the men-are-brutal was supposed to be sexist (as it is always men saying something about women who are called sexists. My point being that women are sexist just as much as men, hell - sometimes women calling men sexist is an act of sexism...)

So just a pointless post for shits and giggles....

[Karimi]

I really love how it was filmed, and the story was good too. Overall I liked it, wouldn't own the dvd though.

[LOPcagney]

No - I was mostly being "funny" - the point was that the men-are-brutal was supposed to be sexist (as it is always men saying something about women who are called sexists. My point being that women are sexist just as much as men, hell - sometimes women calling men sexist is an act of sexism...)

So just a pointless post for shits and giggles....

Yeh. Sorry . Wasn't sure. My own interpretation of the title was meant as a sort of joke as well, poking fun at the whole men-are-brutal, women-are-nurturing mentality as well.

[Marek]

I saw it on sunday and I totally felt that HL2 mood too. In fact, I wrote a little post about it.

[Salka]

I really liked it but the acting was shit. Does anybody else hate Clive Owens or whatever his name is?

The camera and direction and stuff were amazing though (as was the movie in general)

[eljay]

I haven't seen this yet, but yeah Clive Owen is rubbish.

[brkl]

Holy hell was he was terrible in Sin City.

[Wrestlevania]

I actually thought Clive Owen did quite well in this one (for a change); his "style" seemed to me to suit the mood and motivations of his character quite well.

[ysbreker]

But but but but but he's Clive Owen! The coolest actor together with John Hurt and Chrisopher Walken in the awesome game Privateer: The Darkening!

I mean, come on! Clive Owen!

[eljay]

Christopher Walken and John Hurt are two men of ultimate win, Clive Owen should not be allowed near them.

[Kolzig]

Holy hell was he was terrible in Sin City.

But I thought he talked awesomely with a potato in his mouth.

"A hardtop with a deschent engine and make ssshhuure it'sh got a big trunk!"

[brkl]

I think all the male actors in Sin City were dubbed over by the same guy.

[Ginger]

Interestingly, in the novel, which is also named Children of Men, it was the men who were infertile, not the women. Somebody forgot to translate the title!

Does it ever explicitly state that either sex is infertile? As far as I'm aware it didn't really ever go into the cause of the lack of children (although I could have easily missed this as I was sitting next to Rusalka; who insists on talking during all the important and best bits of films and remaining silent during the boring bits :-P )

To say Clive Owen acted in the film is giving him far too much credit, he read out all the lines in a monotone voice, never adding a single hint of emotion to any of them. But besides the bad acting the movies was one of the best I've seen in a while, good story, some amazing unbroken shots and great sets.