It's a masterwork on every level -- storytelling, production design, camera work, acting and photography.
Comment
12/26/06
Children of Men (2006)
92
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:199
Fresh:183
Rotten:16
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live. This taut and thought-provoking tale may not have the showy special effects normally found in movies of this genre, but you won't care one bit after the story kicks in, about a dystopic future where women can no longer conceive and hope lies within one woman who holds the key to humanity's survival. It will have you riveted.
Theatrical Release:22-09-2006
Synopsis: CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience... [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Reviews for Children of Men
141 - 160 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
The story is strong enough, but it's the atmosphere, thick with matter-of-fact doom and guerrilla warfare, that gives the film its quickened pulse.
12/26/06
The film is a triumph of direction, a collection of long takes so carefully planned out that it seems as if Cuaron had very little work to do in the editing room.
12/26/06
It's a sophisticated notion handled fairly deftly in what might be the first film of the 21st century to ponder the end of humanity as it is most likely to occur: slowly with lots of time to think about it.
12/26/06
What makes Children work is that camera and the staging of all the physical insanity its lens captures.
12/26/06
It's definitely worth setting aside your urge for lightweight escapism and diving into this heavy, provocative tale, set so closely to our times and so recognizably an extension of our world that it offers an intriguing chance for reflection.
12/26/06
Everything comes together in Children of Men, from Owen's white-knuckled performance to the eclectic soundtrack.
12/26/06
This is an extraordinary artistic breakthrough from a Mexican director who was already fearlessly good to begin with.
12/26/06
A genuine thrill ride with a soul.
12/26/06
An immersive, transporting experience, both devastating and hopeful, and a film that is emotionally, intellectually, and viscerally exhilarating.
12/25/06
Children of Men is about a miracle. Children of Men is, itself, a miracle. It's a movie that can single-handedly remove the scales of cynicism from your eyes, reminding you of what wonders cinema is capable.
12/25/06
Where some directors might have opted for making a sci-fi action film with flashy chase scenes, nifty futuristic special effects and gadgetry, and artsy camera angles, Cuarón ... holds up a mirror to our own worldview, reflecting back to us what we bring
12/25/06
Now this is a nativity story.
12/25/06
[Children of Men] benefits from Cuarón's visual virtuosity -- in his hands, it carries a jaw-dropping immediacy.
12/24/06
Children of Men works as a science-fiction parable, as a social commentary, as an action film, and as a character study. But mostly it works as pure cinematic experience.
12/24/06
it understands the problems we're undoubtedly going to have to face but it also sees the hope that these challenges will no doubt bring out in some individuals
12/24/06
Cuaron is proving to be the real thing. It's tremendously exciting to watch.
12/24/06
A consistently tense, demanding and altogether exhilarating experience, an instant new classic of the sci-fi genre.
12/23/06
Cautionary tale and thriller rolled into one, it is a terrifying vision of the future, all the more gripping for ringing so true.
12/23/06
Though in terms of atmosphere it's a gripping exercise in modern Orwellianism, it's less well realized in human terms.
12/23/06
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