Children Of Men
This is a film that passed me by when it was released last summer, to critical but not commercial success. What can I say? There was other stuff going on, such as James Bond and X-Men 3! Plus of course, this blog wasn’t in existence then so I wasn’t so in tune with the releases and buzz surrounding various films, music and TV programmes. Regardless, the Oscar nominations and DVD release of ‘Children of Men’ has made me take a look at it, and I find it’s an incredibly well made and exciting story with a top cast.
It is the year 2027 and humanity is coming to an end. The last children to be born were in 1995, now known as Omegas, as fertility levels dropped suddenly to zero. We see how England is run from this moment with democracy rapidly being relaced by a dictatorship. But there is one last hope for the human race, a pregnant woman, belived to be carrying a baby girl is found and the film is a desperate race to save the woman and child’s life. Here’s the trailer…
It looks like a rollercoaster ride,, and set in the near future, gives us all a reality check of how things could go in our lifetimes. The film is based on a dystopian novel by British writer P.D. James, published in 1992, although various elements of the novel have been changed dramatically to better suit a film.
It’s up for 3 Oscars this year, Cinematography, Editing and Writing, and being a proud Brit, I hope it does well. Michael Caine and Clive Owen deliver fine performances, ably assisted by the ever lovely Julianne Moore. Talking of Bond, Owen would have been a great choice and was certainly in the running but I think we are all pleased with Daniel Craig. All in all, a great film and definitely worth a look. Another fine addition to the very British tradition of seeing an apocalyptic future, following in the footsteps of H.G. Wells, George Orwell’s 1984 and 28 Days Later.
Children Of Men, James Bond, X-Men 3, Oscars, Academy Awards, 2027, Future, Fertility, PD James, Michael Caine, Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Daniel Craig, HG Wells, 1984, George Orwell, 28 Days Later
May 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] Born in 1964 in Coventry, England, Clive Owen is a distinguished actor on both stage and screen. Much like Jen, he discovered his passion for acting at a young age, and went on to pursue formal training, at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Clive’s case. A veteran of the Young Vic Theatre Company, he has made his mark in features such as Croupier, Gosford Park, Closer (for which he was Oscar-nominated), and most recently Children of Men (for more on this film see Pop Buzz UK). He is married to actress Sarah-Jane Fenton, with whom he has two daughters. [...]