"Children of Men"

Clive Owen
Julianne Moore
Michael Caine
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Charlie Hunnan




R           111min           2006

In the year 2027, eighteen years since the last baby was born, disillusioned Theo (Clive Owen) becomes an unlikely champion of the human race when he is asked by his former lover (Julianne Moore) to escort a young pregnant woman out of the country as quickly as possible. In a thrilling race against time, Theo will risk everything to deliver the miracle the whole world has been waiting for in “Children of Men”.—from the back cover

Changed in many aspects from the book, the film is easier to follow than it was to read. It shows a bleak outlook to humanities future.

There are many changes from the book to the film that changes the tone and message. Many things in the film are toned down and dulled. Much of the bleakness of the book has been changed to warring instead. In the book they used refugees to do manual labor in the film they are rounded up and put in containment camps. I found the film much easier to face than the book.

“Children of Men” shows a bleak future that is a real possibility. If man does change his habits in the industrialized world we could bring out this future and countless other possibilities. This is just one possibility told in the form of fiction. It’s a terror state that I never want to be alive for.

Having read the book first I knew what to expect. This is one of the first movies that I prefer to than the book. I’m not saying the movie is better than the book in fact its just the opposite. The book though is a mundane read but it hit on many political and social commentaries that are left out of the film.

“Children of Men” has several featurette explaining the different aspects of the film. ‘The Possibility of Hope’ is a documentary by Alfonso Cuarón on how the themes relate to the modern world. ‘Under Attack’ breaks down the dangerous scenes in the film. ‘Theo & Julian’ discusses with Clive Owen and Julianna Moore’s about their characters. ‘Futuristic Design’ looks at the director’s vision of the future from concept to its creation. There are a few deleted scenes.

I give it 3/5 Gs.