Absolutely Wonderful Movie

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2007)

In the past three weeks I have had the good fortune to see Pan's Labyrinth, The Prestige and Children of Men in succession, and what a streak of wonderful movies, I must say! I only mention the three of them together because each takes a subject normally for children, be it fairy tales, magicians, or an action-adventure chase, and turns it into a thought provoking adult entertainment. I recommend that one views children of Men without any knowledge of the plot or characters, as this will make the film more rewarding upon initial viewing. Some people have complained that the trailer for the film was misleading, and I say, GOOD! Too often trailers spoil some of the more innovative twists and set pieces, and in Children of Men, I am pleased to report that the fact that I was really uncertain as to what this film would be about, allowed me to enjoy it more. It's such an old cliché to say that you sat on the edge of your seat in suspense throughout a movie, but Children of Men had this effect on me, and I cannot remember the last time any movie was able to do that. You care about the characters, and the world they're thrust into is a believable hellhole that you could envision yourself in, which makes it all the scarier. In most post-apocalyptic dystopian thrillers, the world is so unbelievable that you can detach yourself from what you're viewing and as a result, sympathize less with the characters. Children of Men presents a future much like today, with chilling minor differences that seem entirely logical. THe crisp and clear cinematography and complete lack of any glamorization either of stars or environments, allow one to project oneself into the film and appreciate it's messages concerning the follies and triumphs of humanity. Strongly recommended. I haven't been this touched by a film on more than ten occasions in my life, the others being the likes of Doctor Zhivago, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2001 and Star Wars. I hope people see this and talk about it at length. Also, I recommend the novel Blindness by Jose Saramago to anyone that enjoys the film. It explores similar themes of what man will resort to when the status quo is thrown out the window.