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Children of Men,
2006, 109 minutes, Rated R
By Ramona Prioleau
In
Children of Men,
things fall apart after years of global infertility. To
soldier on, Great Britain secures its homeland and mandates the
expulsion of illegal immigrants from its shores. This is a Britain
where the state still supports the fine arts and where only British
citizens are afforded full rights under the law. Yet despite its
efforts to guard the jewels for the crown’s citizens, Britain is a
civilization in decline where despair, anarchy and xenophobia are
pervasive. It’s 2027 and illegal immigrants - ‘fugees - are hunted,
caged and shipped to concentration camps. MORE >>>
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© 2006 Universal Pictures
Clive Owen and Clare-Hope Ashitey in Children of Men
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Indifferent
to it all, government clock-puncher Theo Faron (Clive Owen)
anesthetizes himself to the daily grind with frequent swigs of
whisky. Theo’s stupor is so complete that earth-shattering current
events barely register. But a bop on the head, an encounter with an
old flame and an attractive proposition awakens the one-time
activist. Sufficiently incentivized, Theo uses his government
contacts to obtain transit papers for Kee, a ‘fugee member of the
Fisher movement who also happens to be the first pregnant woman in
almost two decades.
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A
cautionary tale from co-writer and director Alfonso Cuarón (Y
Tu Mama Tambien), Children of Men
is a breathtaking portrait of a bleak not-too-distant future.
Cuarón magnificently crafts a vision of a tomorrow yet to come that
is firmly rooted in the here and now. Hot button issues such as
nationalistic foreign policies and immigrant strife are at the
forefront of this extraordinary film. Since these issues are woven
adroitly into a narrative that is spiced with action, the film is
not only a geo-political head trip; it is also a thrilling jaunt
through the British countryside.
Set to an
eclectic soundtrack that propels Children towards its climax,
the film is a provocative tale in which the protagonist, Theo,
performs his everyman deeds to save Kee, the damsel in distress.
The gripping intensity of each moment is captured with brilliant
photography, resulting in battle scenes and car chases that whet the
action appetite. Religious symbolism also permeates the film as Theo
faithfully guides a miraculously impregnated woman on a tumultuous
journey to a future heralded by a chorus of yelping animals.
The film
is based on the best-selling novel
The Children of Men by P.D. James. And although Cuarón’s story
is set in 2027, the film is not a technology-laced narrative that
vilifies artificial intelligence. Instead, Children is an
eerily realistic exploration of despair, inhumanity and hope in a
society of man’s making.
Clive Owen
invigorates the antihero archetype with his portrayal of a British
bureaucrat unaffected by the world around him until his past enters
his present and confronts him about the future. Overall, the
stellar performances of the ensemble cast enliven the film and
newcomer Clare-Hope Ashitey is delightful as the impish Kee.
M
December 2006
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Genre(s) |
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Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
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Writer(s) |
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Alfonso Cuarón , Timothy
J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (screenplay)
P.D. James (novel)
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Marc Abraham |
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Producer |
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Armyan Bernstein |
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Executive Producer |
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Thomas A. Bliss |
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Executive Producer |
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Eric Newman |
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Producer |
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Hilary Shor |
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Producer |
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Iain Smith |
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Producer |
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Tony Smith |
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Producer |
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Clive Owen |
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Theodore Faron |
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Julianne
Moore |
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Julian Taylor |
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Chiwetel Ejiofor |
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Luke |
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Claire-Hope Ashitey |
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Kee |
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Michael Caine |
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Jasper Palmer |
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Pam
Ferris |
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Miriam |
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Charlie Hunnam |
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Patric |
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Emmanuel Lubezki |
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Cinematographer |
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Alfonso Cuarón and Alex Rodríguez |
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Editor(s) |
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John
Tavener |
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Music |
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Lucinda Syson |
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Casting |
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Jany Temime |
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Costume
Design |
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Distributor |
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Universal Pictures
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Release
Dates |
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USA |
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December 25, 2006 (limited release) |
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Filming
Location(s) |
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England, UK
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Uruguay
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Argentina
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