Children of Men
This review contains spoilers
In the year 2027 in a dystopian future where women are unable to conceive and humanity is facing extinction, Theo, an ex activist agrees to escort a girl, who by some miracle has become pregnant to an offshore sanctuary.
Story/Plot
One of Children Of Mens biggest strengths. Does a brilliant job of telling a dark, bleak story of human depravity and desperation in the face of extinction. It feels very believable which helps the shocking moments hit a lot harder. Some moments in this film may be hard for some people to watch as it depicts poverty and conflict very well and there are scenes that clearly imply mass executions. Expertly paced and doesn't overstay it's welcome, the runtime feels about right. I do feel the ending felt slightly rushed however.
Acting/Characters
The acting is of high quality, but nothing about it particularly blew me away. Definitely good but no award nominee level. There's something about Clive Owen's acting in this film where his acting is good but, I just wasn't fully convinced it was that believable his character was the man to go through what he did and survive. I think he could have sold it a bit better, but it certainly wasn't a bad performance and by no means ruins the film. Michael Caine was brilliant as always.
As for the characters they were all likeable if not that overly memorable in the long run. Michael Caine's character was the standout for me.
Cinematography/Visuals
Outstanding. The camera work and design are top tier. The world really looks like it's suffering with littered streets overcrowded with poverty stricken civilians and refugees. London looks run down and decayed. The dull grey colour palette of the city in contrast to the colourful, vibrancy of the countryside helps emphasises how far humanity has fallen and works really well.
While not full of blood and violence, when it is shown, it is quite visceral in places. There are scenes with a lot of blood, the scene where Theo clocks a man in the face with what looks like a car battery while not much blood is shown, is quite brutal, and the conflict scene at the end is very intense with a lot of injury detail. These scenes hit hard and are very well done. It gives the world a great sense of brutality. The camera work in the huge conflict scene at the end is spectacular, leaving the blood spatter on the camera lense was a great touch.
Soundtrack/Audio
The main theme is brilliant. It gives both sadness and hope. It is extremely effective when used in a scene towards the end, where everybody comes to a ceasefire in awe of the first child born in nearly two decades, in what is practically a full blown war scene. The thenody during the conflict is another expertly used piece of music as it is in complete contrast to the rest of the soundtrack throughout the rest of the film and gives another level of intensity and chaos the scene.
The choice to highlight sound like certain gunshots seemed to elevate shock value aswell which was a nice touch. All in all everything is utilised brilliantly and very well made.
Overall
Definitely a high class film that deserves all the praise it gets. A well written emotional and dark story, exceptional cinematography and a beautiful original score. And although the characters and acting didn't hit the same levels as all the other elements, are by no means not of a high standard or a reason to dismiss this otherwise outstanding movie.
Story/Plot
One of Children Of Mens biggest strengths. Does a brilliant job of telling a dark, bleak story of human depravity and desperation in the face of extinction. It feels very believable which helps the shocking moments hit a lot harder. Some moments in this film may be hard for some people to watch as it depicts poverty and conflict very well and there are scenes that clearly imply mass executions. Expertly paced and doesn't overstay it's welcome, the runtime feels about right. I do feel the ending felt slightly rushed however.
Acting/Characters
The acting is of high quality, but nothing about it particularly blew me away. Definitely good but no award nominee level. There's something about Clive Owen's acting in this film where his acting is good but, I just wasn't fully convinced it was that believable his character was the man to go through what he did and survive. I think he could have sold it a bit better, but it certainly wasn't a bad performance and by no means ruins the film. Michael Caine was brilliant as always.
As for the characters they were all likeable if not that overly memorable in the long run. Michael Caine's character was the standout for me.
Cinematography/Visuals
Outstanding. The camera work and design are top tier. The world really looks like it's suffering with littered streets overcrowded with poverty stricken civilians and refugees. London looks run down and decayed. The dull grey colour palette of the city in contrast to the colourful, vibrancy of the countryside helps emphasises how far humanity has fallen and works really well.
While not full of blood and violence, when it is shown, it is quite visceral in places. There are scenes with a lot of blood, the scene where Theo clocks a man in the face with what looks like a car battery while not much blood is shown, is quite brutal, and the conflict scene at the end is very intense with a lot of injury detail. These scenes hit hard and are very well done. It gives the world a great sense of brutality. The camera work in the huge conflict scene at the end is spectacular, leaving the blood spatter on the camera lense was a great touch.
Soundtrack/Audio
The main theme is brilliant. It gives both sadness and hope. It is extremely effective when used in a scene towards the end, where everybody comes to a ceasefire in awe of the first child born in nearly two decades, in what is practically a full blown war scene. The thenody during the conflict is another expertly used piece of music as it is in complete contrast to the rest of the soundtrack throughout the rest of the film and gives another level of intensity and chaos the scene.
The choice to highlight sound like certain gunshots seemed to elevate shock value aswell which was a nice touch. All in all everything is utilised brilliantly and very well made.
Overall
Definitely a high class film that deserves all the praise it gets. A well written emotional and dark story, exceptional cinematography and a beautiful original score. And although the characters and acting didn't hit the same levels as all the other elements, are by no means not of a high standard or a reason to dismiss this otherwise outstanding movie.
Mini Review: A fantastically well done and well rounded movie. Nearly every element of Children Of Men is done to a masterful degree. A brilliant, well written and interesting plot, exceptional cinematography and soundtrack. Just a few minor gripes hold this classic back from being top tier, that being some of the acting, pacing and the ending. They're not bad by any means, they are actually very good it's just… compared to everything else they lacked slightly. Still, this is a must watch. Brilliant film.
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decatur555
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