Children of Men

Man, that 9 minutes was amazing and made me almost cry! With no cuts like that it really puts you in the scene, like you had been dropped in war-torn Nicaragua to scramble for your life moment by moment. Effin intense. (Handheld is absolutely necessary IMO for a scene like this, in this film; dollys would be waaaay too fluid / smooth and would hardly give the same impact as a scramble-for-your-life handheld perspective). Good acting throughout. The script was okay, kind of by the numbers and some scenes you've seen before (like the hippie eccentric's hideout; SPOILER>>>>>>>>>>and you knew what would happen to him because he's a good buddy and we need a "shocking" poignant moment; Caine did a great job, though; pull my finger LOL). This film is by far one of the better films I've seen lately. Definitely see it at least twice.
 
There's that "9 minutes" again. The scene I saw starts in a tunnel and is one continuous take for exactly 6 minutes and then 3-4 minutes of regular cuts. Can somebody (who has seen the movie) please view the 10 minute video on YouTube and tell me if that's the entire "one take" you all are referring to (at 6:03 the cuts start) or if there was another 3 minutes prior to the tunnel and that's why it totals 9 minutes? Just curious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T61ufvuu5_Y

Thanks.
 
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I think the six minute sequence is in the car and the nine minute sequence is the one at the end in the building. But I'm not sure. All I know is they were both awesome.
 
PK Gillock said:
There's that "9 minutes" again. The scene I saw starts in a tunnel and is one continuous take for exactly 6 minutes and then 3-4 minutes of regular cuts. Can somebody (who has seen the movie) please view the 10 minute video on YouTube and tell me if that's the entire "one take" you all are referring to (at 6:03 the cuts start) or if there was another 3 minutes prior to the tunnel and that's why it totals 9 minutes? Just curious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T61ufvuu5_Y

Thanks.
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Yeah, that youtube does not show the entire scene. There's a few minutes before that.
 
Pen Cap Chew said:
Yeah, that youtube does not show the entire scene. There's a few minutes before that.
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Just saw it again today. It did start right where the youtube video starts. There was more before, but right before that scene where the youtube starts, is a cut. It was from then until they come back down the building, then there's a few cuts, then maybe the 30 sec to one minute scene of them walking from the building. I read somewhere it was 20 minutes... the LA times I believe, but it's not 20, it really is only 6-ish minutes. And the one in the car earlier on couldn't have been longer, I'd say maybe 4 minutes or so, from after Theo wakes from his nap till they leave the cops in the road.

Still, amazing film. Enjoyed it greatly.
 
I dunno guys - yes, nicely made, but I thought the story was pretty weak.... the sets and props were often weak and cliched.... lack of any cohesive logic or concept of the world makes this a flick I couldn't recommend except perhaps for those interested in technique. And it's not just all those Titanic-sized holes... I couldn't stand the Titanic-imitation ending!
 
Exactly. I didn't like the ending either. And what makes her think that ship is going to stop for her anway? They probably could care less that there's a woman on a boat (unless she waved her baby at them).

BryantStanton said:
Just saw it again today. It did start right where the youtube video starts. There was more before, but right before that scene where the youtube starts, is a cut. It was from then until they come back down the building, then there's a few cuts, then maybe the 30 sec to one minute scene of them walking from the building. I read somewhere it was 20 minutes... the LA times I believe, but it's not 20, it really is only 6-ish minutes. And the one in the car earlier on couldn't have been longer, I'd say maybe 4 minutes or so, from after Theo wakes from his nap till they leave the cops in the road..
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It seemed like about 20 minutes to me. But only six minutes? I thought it was a fact that it was 9 minutes long. I'd have to see it again. It seemed like there was several minutes before that scene on youtube where there wasn't a cut.
 
the refugee camp set was great. it really braught it to life with some good urban graffiti. you can see when clive owen is going to duck for cover from the tank, behind the tank is a famous graffiti art with a crack in the wall with clear blue clouds with a boy in the middle. And that graffiti is on a ramallah checkpoint wall that divides palestine. they really put good thaught into the type of look the camp should get. great movie.
 
I was a little disappointed with an interview Cuaron gave over at Rotten Tomatoes (I'd link to it but for some reason the site's not up) where he stated that he didn't know why women became infertile, nor did he care. And he didn't know what the "Human Freedom Project" was, nor did he care. He actually seemed angry at the suggestion that he would know anything about it (the reason being that he was more interested in exploring this bleak world - the infertile thing just gave him a hook to do so). But I think that may have something to do with why the ending sucked (I'm hearing that *a lot* btw). If he doesn't know what this project is, how can he create a satisfying ending around it?
 
Pen Cap Chew said:
Exactly. I didn't like the ending either. And what makes her think that ship is going to stop for her anway? They probably could care less that there's a woman on a boat (unless she waved her baby at them).



It seemed like about 20 minutes to me. But only six minutes? I thought it was a fact that it was 9 minutes long. I'd have to see it again. It seemed like there was several minutes before that scene on youtube where there wasn't a cut.
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I may be wrong, but I tried to pay close attention to it earlier today for when it started and I recall them coing out of that alleyway and the music comes in was the beginning, up until they are almost all the way back down the stairs, then it starts cutting to people's reaction shots. It seems much longer than it is I think.

Like I said, might be wrong. Wasn't exactly sober...

Credibility destroyed?
 
PK Gillock said:
There's that "9 minutes" again. The scene I saw starts in a tunnel and is one continuous take for exactly 6 minutes and then 3-4 minutes of regular cuts. Can somebody (who has seen the movie) please view the 10 minute video on YouTube and tell me if that's the entire "one take" you all are referring to (at 6:03 the cuts start) or if there was another 3 minutes prior to the tunnel and that's why it totals 9 minutes?
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Yup. Six minutes! Glad we all got that settled!
 
I just saw this tonight. It was brilliant, and a very harrowing film to watch. This world he created was so tangible, which made it even more scary. I don't feel like picking this film apart, I loved it. I'm really blown away by Cuaron's evolution. This is on a whole different level than Y tu mama tambien...
 
it is still with me after a few days and i want to see it again on a bigger screen. i saw it at village east and the screen was kinda small. where did you see it Isaac?
 
I saw it at the AMC, on 19th and Broadway. My heart is still beating fast, and the movie ended over an hour ago. It really does stick to you.
 
If anyone here has read the novel and seen the film, could you post the differences.
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I have, and I share Cuaron's general disdain for the novel. I picked it up because the story hook is obviously amazing. But the novel really fails to capitalize on it, and in fact contains more movie clichés than the movie adaptation! Some key differences:

* a really big deal is made of the relationship between Theo and his cousin, who is not just some art collector, but rather the Protector of England. Basically he's a dictator that assumed power and had absolute authority. In other words he's a lazy hatrack to hang some basic arguments on about the nature of freedom vs. security. Whatever.

* basically everything that happens from the point Julianne dies is largely invented from whole cloth for the movie. In the movie they end up trapped in the woods for days after they are ambushed on the road (and the ambushers bear no relation to a Fish conspiracy in the book, they are simply another savage aspect of the society in the wilderness). Soon they are being hunted by the government, and are forced into hiding at a farm. There is a very silly confrontation between Theo and his cousin HIMSELF (yes, the Protector of England has personally gone out there to get the baby. I can't quite remember but I think there's something about him planning to claim the baby is his own and re-establish the monarchy with his bloodline. it's a lazy way to wrap up loose ends.) Theo ends up having to shoot him to protect the baby, after which apparently they are allowed to go... rather than being hunted to death for having killed the leader of the free world.

* there is no Uprising to speak of that I recall, and in fact most of the really awesome stuff about resistance is nowhere to be found.

* the Quietus is not a box of drugs that the government sends you, but rather a procedure whereby you are drugged and then drowned. Old people are doing it, and in the scene where Theo finally decides he must help, his change of heart is caused by seeing a Quietus in progress: he realizes that the government is in fact killing people who don't want to die. Why? This doesn't make any sense at all in the world they've set up.

There are lots of other minor differences as well, but essentially the film takes the characters and basic setting of the book and turns everything else on its head, much to my satisfaction. I think there are serious flaws in the film, and I would call it Very Good rather than Great, but it's substantially better than I would have expected, and I'd see it again.
 
c.g._eads said:
I was a little disappointed with an interview Cuaron gave over at Rotten Tomatoes (I'd link to it but for some reason the site's not up) where he stated that he didn't know why women became infertile, nor did he care. And he didn't know what the "Human Freedom Project" was, nor did he care. He actually seemed angry at the suggestion that he would know anything about it (the reason being that he was more interested in exploring this bleak world - the infertile thing just gave him a hook to do so). But I think that may have something to do with why the ending sucked (I'm hearing that *a lot* btw). If he doesn't know what this project is, how can he create a satisfying ending around it?
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I both agree and disagree with you. First of all, I don't think it's important, and in fact I think it would be wasted time, to determine what the cause of infertility is. Who cares? None of the characters in the film know, and there's certainly no need for the audience to know.

On the other hand, the purpose and scope of The Human Project really IS something that needed more clarity. This is, I think, one of the few huge weak points of the film. It's fine not to tell us explicitly, but here you say Cuaron is admitting that HE doesn't know! It's a knowable thing, and the fact that he didn't bother to decide becomes a little evident. I have no problem with ambiguity, and I honestly don't feel like I need more than a few sentences more discussion on the whole point, but if NOBODY knows what it is, that's a problem!
 
Well I thought it was extremely good. Is that better than great or not? Well

hehe the novel I do hear is pretty bad and from Doug's information it is wow so cliche that whole leader plot point? Glad wasnt in the movie!

Now I have my own issues with film but what movie dont you? I enjoyed it, the last nine six whatever minutes, a whole take or not, is so captivating it cannot go unnoticed when the film ends. It captures so much, so gritty, real, feel like there or for me in a game almost...

Now I don't know about anyone else I didn't read whole thread. But many times I felt like Half Life 2. Just the camera, environment, just reminded me a lot of the game. I mean A LOT. My friends felt similar. Which was good... made me feel more in the film.

Now the ending sucking, assuming mean very end on boat. Theo dies, Human Project Boat comes. I agree hard be excited when dont know what it is. I liked the mystery of the project as Doug said but could have been a LITTLE MORE clarification. Obviously it's not some fishing vessel or a myth. Which it could have ended as thus ok why so ambiguous surrounding it.
 
Oh, I absolutely agree with you about Half Life 2. Obviously the environments and the themes were very similar. Very similar also to a project I'm working on, which worries me: does this mean I'll have to compete against Cuaron to get the Half Life movie?? :)
 
I didn't think the human project was the point of the film. I think Clive's Owen's character undergoes an amazing transformation. He's lost a son, and in the end the hope for humanity is named after his dead son. I think it ends in the right place because the human project is a different film, it's a plot based film, and not a character focused one.
 
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