Wow. I really enjoyed this film. There’s something to be said for science fiction over space opera. When a film like Children of Men is able to introduce one simple ‘science fiction’, i.e. that all humanity has suddenly become infertile, and turn it into a compelling story it never fails to grab my imagination.
The plot revolves around Theo, a former activist turned square, who is approached by a revolutionary cell (read “terrorists”) to help them get a young refugee into Britain. Following the loss of fertility much of the world has gone to seed and Britain is the last remaining civil society left on the globe.
Problem is, it’s not so civil to refugees. It’s pretty easy to see where the plot goes from here. The film plays on a large number of contemporary fears including terrorism and refugee floods, but doesn’t labour them. The world is essentially falling to peices in front of the viewer’s eyes, and you know there’s nothing the characters can do to stop the accelerating decline. The references to torture of dissidents and inhumanity of “civil” societies to the helpless are writ large, and there is constant reminders of the sheer folly of big government trying to cope with a collapsing world.
And into this maelstrom the first known pregnant woman in 20 years is introduced.
Here I was thinking they were going to discover cloning or something, and the simple device of trying to protect what could be the only pregnant woman in all the world from the insanity taking place around us is introduced. And it works. There are small imperfections, but as a whole the story works brilliantly.
Highly recommended.
Oh… one imperfection is that the chemistry between the leads simply does not work. In fact it is aggravating. Ah well.
24 June, 2007 at 7:10 am
interesting indeed. i figure that since this is in the future, cloning would be a common practice as well. i must put this on my list
24 June, 2007 at 10:50 am
Interesting, I avoided this one as the book absolutely sucked (IMHO). Curious to see the film now
26 June, 2007 at 8:34 am
I didn’t know it was a book. but I’m going to guess that it was written in the Thatcher years. If not then it goes towards my theory that the British are heading towards another dark time. (Which means great art’s a-comin’).
The film is brilliant for it’s horrible future (in a London that looks like it was created by Bansky) and for it’s story (I do love near-future sci-fi) but also for the techniques used to stitch it together. Long shots with no cuts that just can not be a single shot (watch as the camera is splattered with blood at one point). Constant use of these techniques give a closer connection to Theo’s character and a disconnect from the others for whom the technique is not used.
I couldn’t help but compare this film to V for Vendetta. A totalitarian British government turns a scared public xenophobic (hence my Thatcher comment above).
I gotta call you up though Che, they’re trying to get a girl out of Britain. She’s black but I don’t think she was an immigrant. You’re right about the leads though, no chemistry at all.
26 June, 2007 at 9:37 am
nah, the “out of britian” was the result of the plot to steal her child.
refer, the bible
26 June, 2007 at 10:09 am
But she had a British accent, a British passport (which could be faked) but I’m willing to give up that fight. But the rebels were getting Theo to procure a pass to get her to the countryside so the rebels could get her to the boat (that was the plan set up by Jullianne Moore). The rebels “changed their mind” after she was killed.
Hmmm, I’m gonna watch it again and check