THE CHILDREN OF MEN - PREVIEW

The Children of Men (2006)

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Charlie Hunnam, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Rated: Unrated
Opening Date: 25 September 2006

Based on the book of the same name by British crime writer P.D. James about a future in which male sperm count had unexplainably dropped to practically zero across the planet and the human race is suddenly unable to procreate.

Not exactly an idea new to written sci-fi (Brian Aldiss explored the idea in a book titled Greybeard back in the 'Sixties), but when it comes to celluloid SF — which always lags behind its written counterpart when it comes to complex ideas — it is practically "high concept".

By all accounts the Aldiss book is the better one, but the James one gets filmed because, well, James is a mainstream writer and thus accorded the sort of stature that "mere" sci-fi writers are not; which just shows how low SF is still held by the cultural mainstream.

Anyway, the movie should still be intriguing since it is directed by the bright young Alfonso Cuarón of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y tu mamá también fame — so this just might be the hard SF movie of the year along with The Fountain . . .

Read our review.

Plot

The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set in and around a dystopian London fractious with violence and warring nationalistic sects, Children of Men follows the unexpected discovery of a lone pregnant woman and the desperate journey to deliver her to safety and restore faith for a future beyond those presently on Earth.

— Some sources: Amazon.com

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Trivia

This film started production in early 2002, but due to various complications it was put on hold and director Alfonso Cuarón moved on to another project.

— Some sources: Amazon.com

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