Based on the apocalyptic novel by mystery writer P.D. James, filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men boasts a compelling, thought-provoking story set in the year 2027, a time when most of the world is in chaos, and Britain alone survives as a crypto-fascist state beset by constant terrorist agitation and flooded with illegal immigrants who are systematically jailed and deported. The cause of civilization's collapse is a two-decades-long infertility epidemic that threatens the very survival of the human race. Against this background, world-weary government clerk Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is unwillingly drawn into a dangerous attempt to transport a pregnant immigrant woman—the first so in 18 years—to a secret group called The Human Project searching for a cure for infertility. Their effort to escape both police and regime opponents takes them into some of the most dangerous parts of England—urban areas converted into burned-out detention camps—as they try to safely reach the coast. A gritty, down-and-dirty film (with Oscar-nominated cinematography, editing, and screenwriting), the feeling of hopelessness and oppression in Children of Men is palpable, but it also features a welcome touch of promise in the person of Michael Caine as an aging hippie who embodies the humane qualities the world has lost. Highly recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include director Alfonso Cuaron's 27-minute featurette “The Possibility of Hope” on the film's themes, a nine-minute “Futuristic Design” featurette, “Under Attack” on the most dangerous scenes (8 min.), comments by critic Slavoj Zizek (6 min.), “Theo & Julian” interviews with costars Clive Owen and Julianne Moore (5 min.), three minutes of deleted scenes, “Visual Effects: Creating the Baby” (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for one of 2006's most highly regarded films.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—May 26, 2009—Universal, 110 min., R, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2006's Children of Men boasts a fine transfer and includes 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Blu-ray extras are nearly identical to the standard DVD release, including director Alfonso Cuarón's 27-minute featurette “The Possibility of Hope” on the film's themes, a nine-minute “Futuristic Design” featurette, “Under Attack” on the most dangerous scenes (8 min.), comments by critic Slavoj Zizek (6 min.), “Theo & Julian” interviews with costars Clive Owen and Julianne Moore (5 min.), three minutes of deleted scenes, a segment on “Visual Effects: Creating the Baby” (3 min.), and trailers. New to the Blu-ray version is the “Info & Commercials” viewing option that lets viewers see the full commercials, billboards, and ads from the advertising world of 2027; a picture-in-picture track with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a winning Blu-ray debut for this fine futuristic thriller.]
Children of Men
Universal, 110 min., R, DVD: $29.99, Mar. 27 Volume 22, Issue 2
Children of Men
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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