Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19166 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch, German
• Dubbed in: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility.

As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humour to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Set in a dystopian future where infertility has led mankind to the brink of extinction, a sole pregnant woman holds the key to the survival of humanity. In 2027, the world's youngest person has died at the age of 18. Infertility has ravaged the world, leading it into anarchy. Eastern European and African societies have collapsed, causing their remaining populace to flee to England. Set against a backdrop of warring nationalistic sects, mankind's last remaining hope arrives in the form of Earth's only known pregnant woman. It is up to bureaucrat Theodore Faron (Clive Owen, SIN CITY) and his revolutionary former wife Julian (Julianne Moore, MAGNOLIA) to help deliver the woman to a sanctuary at sea where it is hoped that the birth of her child could help scientists to find out how to save humanity. Based on a dystopian P.D. James science fiction novel, CHILDREN OF MEN is set in a dying anarchic world, devoid of hope, until a pregnant woman proves to be a possible saviour of mankind. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN) has made a powerful, slickly shot film set in an all too believable dystopian future. The tense thriller focuses on various present day concerns of nationalism, racism and government control over its citizens, much in the same way that V FOR VENDETTA did. CHILDREN OF MEN features a superb cast and rattles along with restless energy.

Customer Reviews

Excellent film with great tension
My wife and I rented this through Amazon. I was a little concerned because my wife doesn't like violent films and I knew there were some pretty violent scenes in this. However, they are dealt with tastefully and form an important part of the story.

I particularly liked the longer passages when the main characters were moving through what was, to a large extent, a battlefield. The camera didn't cut-away or pan around. It just followed the action in one continuous shot, the lens being occasionally spattered with debris and blood. The heart certainly raced a little.

Whilst I'm not quite sure what the film makers were trying to say about the modern world and it's troubles (they appeared to be trying to say something, the message was just a bit garbled) it was a thoroughly entertaining film and I certainly have no regrets in renting it.

What a let down....
How disappointing. The premise sounded very very interesting indeed but the film failed on all levels to interest me. Bleak, dull, rambling and, in a word, boring. Had no empathy for any of the characters, and as a consequence, did not care what the outcome may have been. A bit self-indulgent for me, I'm afraid. Do not watch if you value your time.

Give it a miss
Tosh. Alas. Completely failed to engage me at any level. I lost interest after 45 minutes - and I'm a Clive Owen fan.

If you want something really thrilling check out: Edge of Darkness (Bob Peck); State of Play (John Simm); Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy or Smiley's People (Alec Guinness).