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Movies / On DVD / Children of Men
Children of Men

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Children of Men (2006)

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Reviews Counted:39

Fresh:35

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.8/10

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.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:Dec 25, 2006 Limited

Box Office: $35,286,428

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... 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 because the picture is an amazing dystopian drama that lacks all the typical trappings of the genre. Set uncomfortably close to the present, it paints a frighteningly realistic picture of the future. In 2027, every woman on earth is infertile. With the loss of the ability to have children, the world has also lost hope. Clive Owen (CLOSER) plays Theo, an Englishman attempting to make a life in a hellish world. His estranged wife (Julianne Moore) convinces him to help transport a young woman to safety. When Theo learns that the woman is pregnant, their journey takes on a significance--and a danger--he never imagined. This is Cuarón's best film to date, a strong statement considering his wonderful HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN. Filmed using a handheld camera, the action draws the audience close, making the horror that much more real. In addition to its remarkable car-chase scenes, the film features impressive acting. With his expressive face and voice, Owen gives a nuanced performance that ranks with the best of his career. As a reclusive hippie, Michael Caine shares a charming counterculture view of the crumbling world. Chiwetel Ejiofor (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) brings gravitas to the role of a terrorist. Just when the film threatens to overwhelm with its sense of dread, small moments of comedy show through in Owen's wry sense of humor and Caine's perfect delivery. When the credits roll, CHILDREN OF MEN leaves the audience feeling shell-shocked, not only because of its brutal prophecy, but also because of its brilliance. [More]

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Peter Mullan, Charlie Hunnam, Pam Ferris, Danny Huston, Jacek Koman

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton, Alfonso Cuaron
Producer: Hilary Shor, Marc Abraham, Tony Smith, Eric Newman, Iain Smith
Composer: John Tavener
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 1, 2008

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Reviews for Children of Men

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Cuaron fulfills the promise of futuristic fiction; characters do not wear strange costumes or visit the moon, and the cities are not plastic hallucinations, but look just like today, except tired and shabby.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/05/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What I find particularly irksome about it is its pseudo-humanism and its calculating political correctness.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment 1 Comment
01/17/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
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It’s a wow.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
01/06/07
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
New York Magazine
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Cuarón does lowdown takes on high concept better than anyone; no matter what genre he touches, he brings grit and loose-limbed humor along with the hand-held camera jangles.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/05/07
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
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Darkly poetic throughout, the film starts with an explosion and ends drifting in fog with no clear resolution in sight. How brave and oddly satisfying.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/05/07
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News
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Fasten your seat belt; you're in for a bumpy, provocative ride.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
01/05/07
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
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You can see it now or wait 20 years until the movie has found a niche among equally visionary movies that have the capacity to compel, alarm and shake things up.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
01/05/07
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
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Based on a novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, Children of Men is a filmmaking feat. In the midst of mayhem, director Alfonso Cuaron delivers subtle and jarring images, while exploring complex emotional rhythms.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
01/05/07
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
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[A] dark, terrifying and sometimes very funny film.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
01/04/07
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
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A stylish mish-mash of dystopian clichés.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment 5 Comments
01/04/07
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
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Cuarón also pulls us deep into the engrossing universe he has created. There is a stark absence of gadget porn in this futuristic adventure; the most advanced device we see is a video game, innovation at its most trivial.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
01/04/07
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Thrilling, important, and invigoratingly bleak, Children of Men is one of the very best movies to come out in 2006.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
01/03/07
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
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Even if you don’t buy the main conceit, the scumbled texture of the movie makes it feel not just plausible but recognizable, and Cuarón takes care never to paint the future as consolingly different.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
01/02/07
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
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Bloated adaptation of P.D. James's thoughtful, compact novel.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment 6 Comments
12/29/06
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
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While it's best to know as little as possible about this movie going into the theater, the story is so fast-paced that you won't be thinking about this review or any other.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
12/29/06
Peter Hartlaub
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
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A second viewing, which Children of Men richly rewards, deepens our understanding.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
12/29/06
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
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An audacious, exhilarating futuristic thriller.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/27/06
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
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Children of Men, the superbly directed political thriller by Alfonso Cuarón, may be something of a bummer, but its the kind of glorious bummer that lifts you to the rafters.

comment Comment
12/26/06
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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Even in a picture where the smallest gears all work perfectly and harmoniously, Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is a unifying and galvanizing force.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
12/26/06
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com
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Although imperfect, it's engaging, thought-provoking stuff.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
12/26/06
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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