Stevens on "Children"

"A movie about the last days of humanity that opens on Christmas Day may seem like a bleak choice for holiday viewing. But Children of Men (Universal, 12.25) is a modern-day nativity story that's far more moving and even, in its way, reverent than the current film by that name. It's also the herald of another blessed event: the arrival of a great director by the name of Alfonso Cuaron.


"Though I'll be coming out with a 10-best list in this space next week, I've never been much of one for the year-end obsession with sorting and ranking cultural products in neat rows. But I'll go out on a limb and say this: [Cuaron's] dense, dark, and layered meditation on fertility, technology, immigration, war, love, and life itself may be the movie of the still-young millennium." -- from a review by Slate's Dana Stevens, posted 12.21.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 22, 2006 at 5:36 AM

comment #1

Griff Author Profile Page says ...

I'm looking forward to this movie for a lot of reasons, but Jeff, I have to ask: is this the one that really uses Clive Owen to his fullest potential? The guy radiates a kind of dark, doomed charisma and even a tortured decency, but it seems like almost nothing he's done on film has really captured and utilized that about him.

Posted by Griff Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 6:20 AM

comment #2

EDouglas Author Profile Page says ...

Watched this again last night, and though I'm not Jeff, Griff, I can say that Owen does achieve his full potential in the film. His best movie since Croupier.

Posted by EDouglas Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 6:25 AM

comment #3

Dave Polands Gut Author Profile Page says ...

Cuaron has always been here. Not like he just arrived or anything. Hes always been good.

Posted by Dave Polands Gut Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 6:49 AM

comment #4

Eric Author Profile Page says ...

I liked Y Tu Mama Tambien better...

Posted by Eric Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 7:50 AM

comment #5

Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page says ...

Griff, Clive Owen was terrific in Children of Men but depending on what you're looking for, you might still be a little disappointed. One looks at him and expect him to be the most charming guy in the room, but he always seems to play kind of cold and low key. There's never any smarminess from him to let the audience know that he knows that you know you're watching one charming sonofabitch. He's not sucking up, he's playing a character and that character is often kind of a bastard.

His character in Children of Men is not a guy I would want to have over for drinks, but he's totally believable as that guy.

I'm not making any sense and a reasonable person would delete this post, but whatwever. My excuse is that that infernal "Wonderful Christmas Time" ditty is still stuck in my head and I've lost my senses.

Posted by Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 9:21 AM

comment #6

cbuckie Author Profile Page says ...

On the radio commercial for "Children Of Men" they are are using a quote from Jeff, but there is no mention of this web site, just his name. Chas

Posted by cbuckie Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 1:57 PM

comment #7

Thrudvangar Author Profile Page says ...

I love this film. My choice for Best picture. I plan on watching it for the third time this weekend. And thanks for the Nativity thing. I never thought of it like that. Of course I'm not a Christian, so...
Yule rules.

Posted by Thrudvangar Author Profile Page at December 22, 2006 5:32 PM

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