Children of Men
DVD released 2007
Running time: 109 minutes
Seemed like: 90 minutes
aaaaaaaaaaaaaa out of 15 checkmarks



This adaptation of the pre-apocalyptic novel by P.D. James makes me want to get the book from the library. Set in a British landscape not quite as desolate as the original Mad Max movies, the movie created a world just over the brink of disaster in a mostly believable way.



Acting is secondary to the story and directing. This appears to be Clive Owen's largest role. Ever hear of him?...me neither. He's a little bit of a British Nicholas Cage, always has kind of a smirk, but conveys a wide array of emotions nevertheless. This character wasn't a real strong acting role, so maybe that's why he was so capable. Julianne Moore did fine, but the scene stealer was Michael Caine as an ancient hippie, of course.


The directing was crisp and riveting. The story never slowed down, and the expository revelations really created a believable world. Alfonso Cuarón is virtually unknown to me. I enjoyed Y tu mamá también, but he is apparently breaking into the mainstream with a Harry Potter flick and this. I'll be looking for his next features.

There are some excellent, looooong shots in this movie. In the uprising scene, one shot appears to last for 2 to 3 minutes with an incredible amount of action. On further review, it appears they were extremely excellent editors.

If you don't like futuristic movies, don't watch this. If you like carefully crafted story-telling, solid direction, head-scratching plots, true suspense, plus realistic revolution scenes, this movie is a must.