From Tracey: How often are we taken to a place where our hero is 6'2 1/2" and wears flip flops? I was taken to this place and left even more in awe of Clive than when I arrived. This movie left me feeling sad, disappointed and yet with a feeling of fulfillment. I was disappointed for Theo that he never actually (SPOILER!!!) saw the boat. I wish that they had at the very least allowed him to visualize the boat and know with no uncertain doubt that Kee and Dillon were safe! I was taken to tears when out of the war comes silence when an infant
emerges from the ashes in her mothers arms and drives even the meanest,
cold-hearted soldier to his knees. What a message. Clive
took Theo and even with his towering presence made him seem vulnerable,
afraid. How many men with that much testosterone are able to
seem vulnerable, scared, threatened. Each grimace, each painful
thing he experiences (the flip flops were the best) only made him seem
stronger. He emerged a true hero.
I have a terrible crush on Clive anyhow, but this movie made it
worse. I found certain parts to be hohum, but all in all the
acting was superb and I will be truly disappointed if an oscar nod
is not given. The poor man played every emotion known to man,
from depressed, with no hope, to excited to find his old love, to goofball
excitement (with the pingpong ball!!), to confusion, to fear, to extreme
sadness and the loss of his dear true love, to hope, to bewilderment,
found humor (Froley!!?), made time to eat and find new shoes, sadness,
scared to death of being shot at, awe at the birth process, protective
father mode, and unlikely hero. All of this and never actually
being able to light a cigarette, or smoke it to completion. (DId
this drive anyone else crazy??)
Thanks Clive for a job well done and this is why we cannot wait
to head to a marquee with your name on it! |
From Maxi: I loved it. I knew parts
of it were going to be bleak as hell, and they were, but I loved
it. Clive was well-cast and did a great job with the role, and Michael
Caine was a real trip. But to me, this movie wasn’t about performances.
It was all about the story. Thoughts added the next
day: I’ve realized what
a large part the emotional element plays in my feelings about this
movie. When I saw Departed and Blood Diamond,
I knew I’d have to see them again before they left the big
screen. With COM, when I stood up after the final credits, I had
one thought. I will be back to see this movie again TOMORROW. And I’m reminded of those camera shots that I’d read about, where a scene was one long continuous take. I was so engrossed in the story, I completely forgot to look for technical stuff like that. Good thing I’m going back today – there’s a lot more to absorb that I missed the first time around.
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Previous to seeing COM today,
The Departed was my favorite film of the year. However, after
seeing COM today, it inched ahead of The Departed to be my favorite
movie of 2006 (at least after the first viewing).
After the final credits finished rolling I was still in my seat. It took me a minute to gather myself and get up to leave. My brain was swirling with thoughts and I was experiencing a wide range of emotions, so many emotions I can't pinpoint them all at this time. I thought Children of Men was beautifully done and magnificently filmed. The music is fantastic and is works extremely well with the story. Clive was terrific, I believed everything about him, I don't know why he's not getting more mentions for awards season. Michael Caine was wonderful as the old hippie and there were good turns in short roles from Julianne Moore and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The story is bleak, yes, but ultimately leaves you with a sense of hope. Children of Men is powerful and haunting, I want to see it again, and soon. Cindy |
| From Judy: I happened to see Children of Men at the LA Premiere. I've never seen a movie so intense or realistic other than Schindler's List. Clive Owen's performance stands out as sheer brillance as one see's his transformation from pessimistic, uninvolved, non-caring, to believing there is a future for mankind. The action is gripping and non-stop. To views Michael Caine as an aging hippy after seeing him in pictures as a sophicated man-about-town is a treat. Julianne Moore is perfect in her role as the activist recruiting Theo. I am appalled that the Hollywood Foreign Press did not recognize Clive Owen's performance. I am very anxious to see this film to view the portions I missed because there's a lot to absorb. |
Okay- A review of COM—nearly 24 hours later. 1/6/07 Let me start by saying that the review published in our local paper was written by someone in Arizona, who hated every last moment of the movie----- now how many people from Concord NH will be going to movie do you think… Plus, it is not even playing here, but south of us in Manchester! And the acoustics weren’t great to some of the dialogue was hard to hear. Okay- enough whining. I will try not to make too many spoilers—so if I’m a little vague- it’s because of that. I loved it , I think. I loved the cinematography, and was so engrossed by the story that I actually watched the film, not just Clive, which is hard to do since he is in every scene. The weariness and cynicism comes through brilliantly. There is one scene at Jasper’s when he is eavesdropping on a conversation about him that is Clive at his best. The absolute brilliance of his acting nearly moved me to tears, as I felt his pain so keenly. The movie does not spoon feed you. There are some confusing spots, and it takes a bit to figure out what’s going on. There are a couple of times the reactions of people seem not to fit--- but I think that is so in real life.. This is particularly so near the end of the film when the police seem not to be interested in who these three people are. The scenes of Britain in the “future” are disturbingly familiar. We see it everyday. The treatment of the refugees we have seen ALL too often around the world. It is an uncomfortable film because of that. I thought that Clare-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine and of course Clive were amazing. So were others in the cast. I think I will have to see it again. I went with my husband, and he like it to, he thinks. As one critic said, it’s a hard film to love, but it certainly makes one think, and the way it was filmed draws you right along. I have yet to come up with the words or phrase that encapsulates what I feel about this film. Perhaps one of you will hit the nail on the head, and I will say “yeah, that’s it” I think you are all going to be intrigued by this film. Clive is magnificent. I expected nothing less. If people think he had just stoicism in his repertoire, they will have to think again. Love to all my Sisters in Clive Alice |