CHILDREN OF MEN, Dir Alfonso Cuaron, 2006

Image result for film children of men 2006

Clive Owen stars in an apocalyptic future vision of Britain and steals the film. He is understated at all times, tender, sensitive, afraid, and always sincere and utterly humane. However he behaves, he is absolutely believable and, when he laughs, it feels as though we are watching Clive himself, with great warmth and humour evident, and not acting at all. This is delightful because he was miscast in 'Arthur', when he appeared wooden and remote. Here he co-stars with Julianne Moore who puts in a more than usually lively appearance. She plays Julian, the leader of a band of terrorists and, although this is stretching credulity, she has a good stab at being ruthless and impassioned. Clive, on the other hand, plays Theodore, the average guy caught up in events that overtake him, and who has no reason to get involved, other than him being a decent man. Michael Caine has a cameo role as Jasper, an ageing hippie, which he clearly relishes.

The set-up is a devastated world, with all systems collapsed. Terrorist attacks and war have caused the breakdown of communication systems, commerce, industry and everything else. Britain is the last country functioning in any sense. Pollution and disease (including a 'flu pandemic) have resulted in infertility in adults and the death of all young children. The world is left with no-one under the age of 21. Into this end-of-the-world scenario the terrorists locate a pregnant young black woman and want to use her for their purposes. Somewhere in this plot I got lost. The young black girl wants to get to a research station to raise her baby which is, of course, over the water, so Clive befriends her and tries to get her away from the terrorists to safety.

It's a cracking good film. It is also just conceivable that in 2027, if computer terrorism is used, businesses and economies could collapse, and countries could be crippled. Dependance on modern technologies put the modern world at risk of attack upon organisations using computers and electronics which cannot function without either power or incorruptible systems. The idea of a pandemic makes it feasible that the weak would perish, young children and the elderly. The only option left to the survivors is to take a tablet which will make them die peacefully. There is no future. If the baby, the clear symbol of hope amidst this doom, survives it is not clear what is expected to come of it. Hope springs eternal, no matter what. Must watch again to figure out what the terrorists planned to do with said infant.

Comments

GLORIOUS 39. Dir Stephen Poliakoff. 2009

Glorious 39 strips away illusions. Poliakoff presents the apparent idyll of an English aristocratic family headed by genteel patriarch Lord Keyes (Bill Nighy). He presides over a country estate in Norfolk and his elegant townhouse in London – a world of golden light, romantic ruins, servants, house parties and happy children. But this is 1939, a mere 21 years since the Great War, the war to end all wars, in which millions died, Britain was crippled with war debt, and the English country house system which he so values was almost annihilated. There are many references to the ancientness of his family and tradition, but now, few male servants remained alive or unmaimed to work the English landscape or to be in service to the old families. Fearing domestic and political upheaval, appeasers such as Keyes sought to prevent Churchill leading the country and taking Britan to war, and to buy off Hitler to preserve British cultural and national identity. Nighty is excellent, contro...

LOVERS OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. Dir. Julio Medem 1998

I should have done some research before going to see this because I thought it was going to be about lovers in the Arctic Circle. Instead of being transported to the icy wastes of an unfamiliar landscape the film is set in urban Spain, but in a very cold Spain with wind, rain and everyone in thick jumpers. Shot in near monochrome, the effect is cold and the Spartan interiors of apartments provide a bleak, comfortless setting for love to blossom. Otto and Ana meet as children and are attracted to each other due to the nature of coincidence, and coincidence plays a large part in the narrative. The two children are engaging and there are some comic scenes between them when young and, later, as teenagers, with trysts in the night and their love kept secret. However, once they’re older the story loses momentum and, at times becomes surreal and confusing as the viewpoint moves in and out of the two characters’ imaginations. Otto suffers an extreme grief reaction when his mother acci...

HARRIET. Dir. Kasi Lemmons. 2019

Astonishing true story of early freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman, enslaved in the Southern states of America. Despite her marriage to a freeborn African-American, she was unable to protect any of their hoped-for children from being born into that same slavery, and being owned by the farm proprietor. Her overpowering sense of injustice compelled her to act. She escapes, and eventually becomes one of America’s great heroes. Her audacity is astonishing, the level of courage she sustained, her extraordinary tenacity and physical endurance, not to mention cunning and excellent planning. One of those qualities would be worthy of high praise but she is exceptional for having all of them, created by her determination to rescue her family and then other captives. She was responsible for the escape of almost 300 slaves Her religious faith was absolute and she felt guided by God to help others, aided by Abolitionists and free African-Americans. Filmed in glorious colour, with deft...

Just For Lookin' Thru

Search This Blog