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With Sci Fi Studios all about inviting and nurturing new talent and feedback in entertainment, it reminds us just how the industry has been shaken up thanks to fandom. No longer is "the biz" such a remote mystery: As fanzines begat professional writers and editors, as CGI visual effects begat a whole generation of space battles and fantasy armies created on a laptop, so now are digital cameras, editing and Internet video channels opening up the booming "hobby" of genre fan films to nearly anyone who takes the leap.
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Home  Sci Fi Studios Magazine The Fan Film Revolution Children of Men
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Written by Shari McVoy
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
If someone you cared for asked you to do them a favor, to try to save a life, would you do it? Even if it might prove to be dangerous and slightly illegal? Wouldn't we all want to be the hero in a situation like this? That is the dilemma Theo Faron (Clive Owen), our reluctant hero, must face in this near-future tale.
 Theo lives in a dangerous world brought about by panic and fear. In 2027, there are no children nor have there been for nearly 20 years. In fact, the youngest person on the planet just died at exactly 18 years, 4 months, 20 days, 16 hours and 8 minutes old. Without children the world will die.
Herein lies the favor. Julian (Julianne Moore), someone from Theo's past, asks him to obtain transport papers for a 'Fugee, an illegal immigrant. In London of 2027, it is a crime to help 'Fugees. Kee is special, however. Some believe that she holds the answers to saving humanity.
Theo chooses to help her, of course, because if he didn't, the movie would be over in 10 minutes. It's the journey and the people we meet along the way that hold your interest.
Theo is a great character. He is an everyday guy who wants to do the right thing, but with armed soldiers at every corner, it's not always safe to do the right thing. I can't see anyone playing this role better than Clive Owen. He is a fantastic actor and he plays Theo perfectly. I could believe what I saw on the screen was really happening to him. His every emotion seemed genuine, not forced. Especially his heartbreak at the sight of an old, abandoned school with an empty, weed-covered playground.
 Michael Caine is an absolute delight as Theo's friend, Jasper. His fun-loving, energetic character makes you forget for a moment the outside evils with his goofy jokes and his air-guitar playing to loud rock music. He obviously had a good time with this role and you can't help but be drawn into his world.
The filmmakers did a great job in creating the tense, dangerous atmosphere of this movie. Armed soldiers all through the city, bombed-out or bullet-riddled buildings dot the landscape and torched vehicles and charred bodies line most of the roads. If I lived in a city like that I would be too scared to ever leave my house. I can't imagine living with that right outside my door everyday.
I was especially dumbfounded by a scene in an immigration camp. It was a brief blink-and-you-miss-it scene that took place at night. A group of 'Fugees warmed themselves by a big fire. Although they weren't burning wood, they were burning a body. I can't even fathom the desperation those people felt to stand there as if that were normal. Those kind of dark scenes just grab you and nearly choke you with the emotion they invoke. As comfortable as we all are in our lives, try to imagine being forced to live like that. It's hard, isn't it? The filmmakers created a dark, frightening, quite believable world. I hope I never have to live there.
 In my opinion, Children of Men is a fantastic film. In fact, I would put it on my list of Top 10 Movies. The acting is great, especially Clive Owen and Michael Caine. The characters are believable. I even felt sympathy for some of the bad guys because, you can understand how and why they ended up that way. The atmosphere and scenery match the story perfectly. It's a movie that makes you analyze your own existence. I love movies that make me think long after the credits have rolled by.
This film, although quite different from the book by P.D. James, tells a great and scary story that begs us to take a peek into our future. A future that may not be so far-fetched as it seems. Could our desire to better ourselves do more harm than good? In Theo's shoes, would we stand for what's right or pretend we don't see what's wrong? This gritty, near-future thriller takes us on a journey of discovery, through Theo's eyes and our own, and it's well worth the ride.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 20 June 2007 )
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