.a.meter - 9/10
the breakdown: 2027, and modern day society is experiencing the rather large problem of being unable to make babies. to make matters worse, the world is in a state of chaos and everyone is killing each other
the apathetic anti-hero (AAH) is contacted by his militant activist ex-wife (MA-EX) for the purpose of acquiring papers for someone she feels is important to transport to a safe place…specifically to a group of mystery people called “the human project”. there’s history there, and so he decides to help out. AAH figures out that the person he has gotten the papers for is actually pregnant, and his hopelessness is replaced by the desire to help her against some rather staggering odds. the movie focuses on three things:
1. AAH’s journey into believing there is still hope for humankind even though all appears to be lost
2. the notion that even though this is set in 2027, it looks like we’re actually currently on our way there.
3. we, humankind, very much take for granted the power of children, and how children represent the potential to carry on all of the things we believe in into the future.
5 adjectives to describe the movie: dreary, hopeful, intense, organic, dystopian
standouts:
clive owen (AAH/theodore faron): probably one of the best dark anti-hero types i’ve seen. you feel sorry for how mundane his life is, and how unmoved by his horrific surroundings he is. he feels numb and gray and hopeless…but when he is given the opportunity to change that outcome, his eyes reflect an intensity and determination to make that happen.
michael caine (jasper palmer): i would have never in a million years been able to peg michael caine as being able to pull of an aging marijuana smoking hippy and make it a believeable experience. he’s funny, he’s smart, he’s kind and a little vile…and he’s someone you desperately want to hang out with and get to know better. he’s the grandpa of the future.
juliann moore (MA-EX/julian taylor) and chiwetel ejiofor (luke…one of taylor’s lieutenants…you’d know him from ‘inside man‘, ‘serenity‘, or the bad guy in ‘four brothers‘) were both good for the roles they were cast as well, nothing to really write home about.
the bottom line:
what a movie…what a great, real, gritty, human piece that shows the power of ‘what if…?’ i very rarely leave a movie feeling overwhelmed and tired (in a good way) by what i’ve just experienced. i also very rarely feel like i go to a movie where i feel like what i’ve just seen is truly a genuine artistic expression. but this movie managed to tie it up on a great package that was all at once filled with a lot to take in, yet concise and to the point. there are no complex messages and meanings here; rather, the story relies on the very simple premise of a world without children…and how that small element could completely change the landscape of life as we know it.
clive owen has consistently played good complex characters that feel like they rely less on dialogue and more on physical posturing. don’t get me wrong; i actually think he’s got a great vocal presence and he delivers lines in a very believable, very well timed way. he feels totally natural but he takes it a step further and puts you inside his character’s bodies. there are a couple of scenes in the movie where the typical hero would normally give you the whole ‘tough guy’ demeanor. instead, we see owen let his character’s non-caring facade fall away by actually breaking down and crying. and it’s not melodramatic…it’s believable, real, something you might expect you’d do if you were in the same situation.
i also appreciated one of the small twists of the film being given up fairly quickly rather than waiting for that huge ‘shocker moment’ of realization that something is awry. it was used to enhance the plot and the overall arc of the story rather than relied upon to make the film. now that i’m thinking about it, there are a lot of moments where some very harsh twists of fate occur…kind of like in life…and that is yet another thing which makes the film believable.
finally… alfonso cuarón is shaping up to be quite a visionary filmmaker. while i haven’t seen a lot of his stuff, i have seen ‘y tu mamá también’, ‘great expectations’ and ‘harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban’…all very unique and well produced experiences. cuarón seems to have a talent for mixing fantasy with reality in a very seamless way…something i appreciate very much because it makes it so much easier for you as a filmgoer to suspend your disbelief. i’ll definitely be looking forward to any future films he directs.
my ONLY beef with the film is ‘kee’, the pregnant girl. i like the character a lot. she is not what you expect her to be. she is essentially a prostitute who has the unfortunate burden of having become the only person on earth who is able to reproduce. ironic…but perhaps a tiny bit heavy handed. but the actor who plays her is young; she appears to be a first-timer. i wanted a less-mechanical portrayal. i wanted her to be just as believable as owen’s character…which is difficult given the experience difference. she did well enough and certainly didn’t detract from the overall quality of the film. she just would have been the icing…you know…the difference between a ‘9’ and a ‘10’.
