...without a doubt, a must-see film and one of the best to come out in 2006.
The acting in the film is top notch through and through. It's a testament to Clive Owen's abilities that he can play the hard man action hero in "Sin City" as well as he can play the everyman in "Children of Men." His Theo isn't in any hurry to topple the evil regime of England, he just finds himself in an overwhelming position and does his best. Like the barefoot John McClane, Theo leaps into action at a moment's notice in only socks, then a pair of flip flops. As always, Caine is delightful and brings both gravitas and playfulness to his role. One actor I've felt for awhile was one to watch out for is Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Luke. He's also played two very different villains in "Serenity" and "Four Brothers." Along with his turns in "Kinky Boots" and "Inside Man", he's proving himself to be an amazingly versatile actor. Newcomer Claire-Hope Ashitey put on a fine performance as well and I choose her as an over-looked candidate for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
Cuaron throws us right into the middle of the action was a series of action sequences done in long, single takes. I applaud Cuaron for avoiding the migraine inducing rapid editing style that many filmmakers seem to enjoy. The shakiness of the handheld camera work is also put to a minimum. You won't get motion sickness from watching this movie. The best of these uninterrupted takes occurs during the film's climax when Theo races through a prison camp while gunfire and explosions erupt around him. It's as if we've been dropped into the middle of World War II, watching some Allied infantryman running through the bombed out streets of Dresden.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer looks spectacular. The picture is clean and crisp with the film's dark black and gray tones coming off strongly.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with alternate Spanish and French dubbed language tracks. The sound is just as good as the picture. The dialogue is loud and clear while the sound effects boom across the channels.
EXTRAS:
Possibility of Hope runs nearly half an hour and features interviews with various experts who discuss the real-life topics that could lead to "Children of Men." They talk about immigration, the environment, and economics. It's interesting, if somewhat a bit dry.
The rest of the bonus features are a bit on the shorter side, mostly five to ten minutes.
Comments by Slavoj Zizek is exactly as it's titled. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek gives his thoughts on the film in a short five minute segment.
Under Attack focuses on the numerous long, single takes that are used in the film. Interviews and behind-the-scenes clips show why they were done and how they were shot. Most impressive is the elaborate rigging devised to shoot the car chase sequence.
Theo & Julian discusses the lead characters and what Clive Owen and Julianne Moore brought to the table.
Futuristic Design focuses on the film's production design and how they created realistic, yet tired, looking future. What technologies and settings would advance and what would fall apart in a world without children.
Visual Effects: Creating the Baby is a step-by-step look at the surprising amount of FX needed for the scene where Kee gives birth.
Rounding out the DVD are a trio of short deleted scenes and skippable previews for other Universal releases ("Smokin' Aces", "Good Shepherd", "Heroes").
FILM VALUE:
I just don't know if I can heap enough praise on "Children of Men." If there is any criticism to the film, it's that the script didn't delve deeper into the backstory of the world's infertility or of Theo and Julian's past relationship. While some might have had a problem with this, it didn't bother me. Cuaron wasn't interested in the past, but the here and now of the film. "United 93" and "Children of Men" were my picks for the two best films of 2006. If I were to make a top 10 list for the past decade, "Children of Men" would likely be a strong candidate to place somewhere in the rankings. This is a thought-provoking film full of sharp ideas, drama, and humor.
Cuaron throws us right into the middle of the action was a series of action sequences done in long, single takes. I applaud Cuaron for avoiding the migraine inducing rapid editing style that many filmmakers seem to enjoy. The shakiness of the handheld camera work is also put to a minimum. You won't get motion sickness from watching this movie. The best of these uninterrupted takes occurs during the film's climax when Theo races through a prison camp while gunfire and explosions erupt around him. It's as if we've been dropped into the middle of World War II, watching some Allied infantryman running through the bombed out streets of Dresden.
VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer looks spectacular. The picture is clean and crisp with the film's dark black and gray tones coming off strongly.
AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with alternate Spanish and French dubbed language tracks. The sound is just as good as the picture. The dialogue is loud and clear while the sound effects boom across the channels.
EXTRAS:
Possibility of Hope runs nearly half an hour and features interviews with various experts who discuss the real-life topics that could lead to "Children of Men." They talk about immigration, the environment, and economics. It's interesting, if somewhat a bit dry.
The rest of the bonus features are a bit on the shorter side, mostly five to ten minutes.
Comments by Slavoj Zizek is exactly as it's titled. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek gives his thoughts on the film in a short five minute segment.
Under Attack focuses on the numerous long, single takes that are used in the film. Interviews and behind-the-scenes clips show why they were done and how they were shot. Most impressive is the elaborate rigging devised to shoot the car chase sequence.
Theo & Julian discusses the lead characters and what Clive Owen and Julianne Moore brought to the table.
Futuristic Design focuses on the film's production design and how they created realistic, yet tired, looking future. What technologies and settings would advance and what would fall apart in a world without children.
Visual Effects: Creating the Baby is a step-by-step look at the surprising amount of FX needed for the scene where Kee gives birth.
Rounding out the DVD are a trio of short deleted scenes and skippable previews for other Universal releases ("Smokin' Aces", "Good Shepherd", "Heroes").
FILM VALUE:
I just don't know if I can heap enough praise on "Children of Men." If there is any criticism to the film, it's that the script didn't delve deeper into the backstory of the world's infertility or of Theo and Julian's past relationship. While some might have had a problem with this, it didn't bother me. Cuaron wasn't interested in the past, but the here and now of the film. "United 93" and "Children of Men" were my picks for the two best films of 2006. If I were to make a top 10 list for the past decade, "Children of Men" would likely be a strong candidate to place somewhere in the rankings. This is a thought-provoking film full of sharp ideas, drama, and humor.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]20540[/release]