Children of Men

I just saw the trailer for Children of Men, the film adaptation of PD James' superb dystopian examination of life, hope, sacrifice and faith. I am uneasy. They have cast superb actors - the lead is Clive Owen. It is helmed by a capable director, Alphonso Cuaron. I am not thrilled with the look of the movie. The trailer shows a society that is violently falling apart with cities trashed and burning. The book, by contrast, had England sliding into death in a cocoon of Socialized denial with forced euthanasia and a "Warden" who ruthlessly stamped out the rights of the individual. Nature reclaimed cities with a slow peaceful creep; the insidious lethargy of hopelessness as dangerous as any of the sociopathic youths of the last feted generation.

I fear that Cuaron has echewed the subtle. Owen does not portray a historian whose only solace is Evensong at the local Anglican chapel, but a former activist. Julian (Julianne Moore) is not the devout but sinning Catholic whose birth defect has enabled her to hide her pregnancy from the fertility examiners, but is an activist hiding the pregnant mother. Instead of tackling the tricky ground of unassimilated immigrants as an unacknowleged underclass, it seems glossed over. I still hope for a good movie but am girding myself for disappointment.

On the other hand I have high hopes for Chris Nolan's new flick about magicians.; as well as Hugh Jackman's latest foray as leading man.