Children of Men (2006)

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Director:

Alfonso Cuarón

Writers:

Alfonso Cuarón (screenplay), Timothy J. Sexton (screenplay),

Stars:

Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clive Owen	...	Theo Faron
Juan Gabriel Yacuzzi	...	Baby Diego (as Juan Yacuzzi)
Michael Caine	...	Jasper
Mishal Husain	...	Newsreader
Rob Curling	...	Newsreader
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Luke
Jon Chevalier	...	Café Customer
Julianne Moore	...	Julian
Rita Davies	...	Café Customer
Charlie Hunnam	...	Patric
Kim Fenton	...	Café Customer
Danny Huston	...	Nigel
Chris Gilbert	...	Café Customer
Phoebe Hawthorne	...	Café Customer
Rebecca Howard	...	Café Customer

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

future | violence | birth | chaos | survival | 

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Taglines:

The last one to die please turn out the light.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States] UIP [Germany]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German Italian Romanian Spanish Arabic Georgian

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Niños del hombre

Filming Locations:

Admiralty Arch, The Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$76,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$179,268 (USA) (22 December 2006)

Gross:

$35,286,428 (USA) (9 March 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Strike Entertainment, Hit & Run Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fighters that fly over Theo and Kee's boat to launch an airstrike on Bexhill appear to be F-35 Lightning II aircraft, a type of plane created to fit the specifications of the Joint Strike Fighter program and scheduled to enter service in 2011.

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Goofs

When Theo has agreed to help the Fishes by getting transit papers for Kee and follows an agent to what turns out to be a meeting with Julian on a Double Decker Bus, the bus he chases and presumably boards is a thinly disguised MCW Metrobus, dating from circa 1982, with characteristic boxy, old-fashioned appearance. However, when we cut to the bus interior, it is that of a Wrightbus Gemini model, dating from 2003 or later - this model is much curvier in shape than the Metrobus. Once Julian and Theo leave the bus, it passes by, and we see that it is indeed now the modern vehicle from which they have alighted, carrying the manufacturer's stylised 'W' moulding on the rear panel.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Newsreader: Day 1,000 of the Siege of Seattle.
Newsreader: The Muslim community demands an end to the Army's occupation of mosques.
Newsreader: The Homeland Security bill is ratified. After eight years, British borders will remain closed. The deportation of illegal immigrants will continue. Good morning. Our lead story.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end, one can read "Shantih, Shantih, Shantih" with children shouting and laughing on the soundtrack, which can be heard repeatedly throughout the end credits. This is the last line of T.S. Eliot's 1922 poem "The Wasteland." "Shantih" means "peace" in Hindi.

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Connections

Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Eaten by Cats (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Andante Assai from Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor Opus 63"
Composed by Sergei Prokofiev (as Serge Prokofieff)
Performed by Kyung-Wha Chung (as Kyung Wha Chung) & London Symphony Orchestra
By permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd
Courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited
Under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd

User Reviews

a must see= brilliant and fresh

this film is one of the best things i have seen this year. It's an improbable cross between "Brazil" "a clockwork orange" and the video game HALF-LIFE2 (from which it borrows it's final sequences and use of on shot action-sequences) it manages to be both entertaining in the Hollywood way (with incredible action sequences and a very clever way of using digital effects) yet very sad and different with a very very dark and realistic overtone. No comic relief, no cartoon character bravery, only human behavior in it's best and most horrible way. This realistic overtone makes the main characters very engaging and moving. CLive owen (whose i have always disliked) is excellent as the man drowned into an adventure too big for him (sorry for my bad English)

It's the same kind of film than V for vendetta (both taking place in a futuristic fascist British society) different from the usual mainstrean studio teenager pleaser crap

GO see it! help intelligent cinema