Children of Men - Counterpoint
SPOILER ALERT
I saw the much-buzzed-about Children of Men a few days ago and I gotta say, I don't know what all the fuss is about. To be honest, I downright disliked the film. I thought it was overwrought, melodramatic, and cliched. The dialogue was bad, the cinematography was pretty but unoriginal, and the characters were unimaginative and poorly developed.
Clive Owen broods his way through the story as our hero Theo. Though this character is the protagonist, we're never really given a reason to care about him. I guess he's the "every-man" with his unfufilling job and dreams of unrequited love, but that's not enough. Kee, the only pregnant woman on Earth is never given a chance to be anything more than a tool for the salvation of civilization (oh my gosh-- a KEY! Brilliant and subtle at the same time!). The only interesting character that shows a hint of a third dimension is Michael Caine's Jasper. Unfortunately, he dies halfway through the film.
In fact, most of the characters die. Violently. I had a big problem with the violence in this film, but perhaps I'm overly sensitive. After all, it's not real. But the way in which the violence happens really speaks to things that happen in the world today, and I personally don't find that entertaining. The last half hour or so was so full of explosions and gun shots, I lost track of the plot. If you are at all sensitive to this kind of thing, please skip Children of Men.
The one thing I can really say in defense of the film is this: it's bold. Science fiction stories are not often told so close to the future (in the movie the last baby on earth was born two years from now). It's hard to imagine a film standing the test of time when it portrays a future only a generation away. But at the same time, it's that much more frightening to today's viewers. And we still read Orwell's 1984 in 2007, so who's to say.
I know I'm in the minority, so don't take my word for this, see it if you think you may like it. But be prepared for some melodrama, and a LOT of graphic violence.
-Elizabeth
I saw the much-buzzed-about Children of Men a few days ago and I gotta say, I don't know what all the fuss is about. To be honest, I downright disliked the film. I thought it was overwrought, melodramatic, and cliched. The dialogue was bad, the cinematography was pretty but unoriginal, and the characters were unimaginative and poorly developed.
Clive Owen broods his way through the story as our hero Theo. Though this character is the protagonist, we're never really given a reason to care about him. I guess he's the "every-man" with his unfufilling job and dreams of unrequited love, but that's not enough. Kee, the only pregnant woman on Earth is never given a chance to be anything more than a tool for the salvation of civilization (oh my gosh-- a KEY! Brilliant and subtle at the same time!). The only interesting character that shows a hint of a third dimension is Michael Caine's Jasper. Unfortunately, he dies halfway through the film.
In fact, most of the characters die. Violently. I had a big problem with the violence in this film, but perhaps I'm overly sensitive. After all, it's not real. But the way in which the violence happens really speaks to things that happen in the world today, and I personally don't find that entertaining. The last half hour or so was so full of explosions and gun shots, I lost track of the plot. If you are at all sensitive to this kind of thing, please skip Children of Men.
The one thing I can really say in defense of the film is this: it's bold. Science fiction stories are not often told so close to the future (in the movie the last baby on earth was born two years from now). It's hard to imagine a film standing the test of time when it portrays a future only a generation away. But at the same time, it's that much more frightening to today's viewers. And we still read Orwell's 1984 in 2007, so who's to say.
I know I'm in the minority, so don't take my word for this, see it if you think you may like it. But be prepared for some melodrama, and a LOT of graphic violence.
-Elizabeth
posted by Star Clipper at Friday, January 26, 2007
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