The impression I got from the article is that they felt like it was prescient. (I don’t think so, myself.)
I’ve seen this with other critical appraisals of mediocre-to-bad sci-fi movies/books/tv shows that someone decided were worthy of great praise because they felt like they were prescient (as if that was even the point of sci-fi), event though they really weren’t even that.
It’s a Very Serious movie - which, in a genre filled with toy advertisements, CGI spectacles and extremely dumb action movies, can be mistaken for critical worth.
I’d be very interested in hearing what movies that were either at the very back of the list, or left off the list entirely, should be in the top ten, according to people here.
I had read the PD James book before watching it so was pretty set up to like it.
I’d also read this which came out at almost the exact same time which shares elements with it.
I’ve only read it in English but I’m pretty sure it’s a clunky translation. I could see some of their choices were too literal to the French and read terribly in English. Which is a pity as some of Maalouf’s books are amazing.
I mean there were a lot of films I hate on that list: men in black, Independence Day, back to the future. Anything with a John Fucking Williams score, and a fair few that are “of historical interest only” like the HG Wells one things to come, I’m glad I watched it (or I was for some time I can’t remember almost anything about it now) but it is a boring, badly made film. Not the look, the storytelling is terrible. Probably the acting too.
It’s kind of odd that Children of Men and Under the Skin are the ones that got on people’s nerves.
thats a real stinker; its interesting for what it is, but basically endorses some weird kind of science-techno-fascism. and its so fucking pretentious.
they both go under the skin and its funny how many accuse children of hollywood-chliches, while its in my perception the other way around, sometimes the big industry finances by pure chance films like children, which is -again- in my opinion great and provocative art. its a filmmakers film.
From the Rolling Stone article re Godard’s Alphaville (1962): *It’s likely that 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 was inspired by Godard’s premise…
Uh… no. 2001 was **based on Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, The Sentinel (1951).
**Kubrick counted the short story as the basis for 2001, while Clarke did not. It’s possible that the difference in opinions stems from how a visual auteur and a nuts-and-bolts science-guy see things.
Children of Men has a couple of one-shot scenes that are just absolutely brilliantly executed. If I remember correctly, these are true one-shots without hidden cuts. Warning, they are both very violent.
ETA: I just realized that they mention the second clip in the article. One of these days I’ll figure out reading the articles first.
Now officially promoted to “vastly overrated.” I mean, I’ve seen it for some reason. It was pretty watchable. It was no Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, that’s for f*ing sure.
oh, there are some, but in this case truly hidden. its insane how excellent the camera work is. and you just dont really notice it, because it serves and doesnt show.
Wow. This explains why I never liked that premise for a film. None of us will live forever. No children wouldn’t extinguish my sense of hope for my future, or other species, or the planet.
maybe not yours, but for a lot of people it would mean exactly that. I have to ask; you saw children of men, yes? because despite its basic premise, its all about hope and only hope. very nice, fulfilling, sweet and real hope. did I mention how much I love this movie?
Now, there’s a poll with results that might interest me - to determine if it’s close to a majority. I mean, with certain partisan groups making people very afraid about their reproduction maybe those people need support. It’s not the worst movie I’ve ever seen, but on the list of ones I wish it was possible to get my time refunded.
It doesn’t reflect what we see IRL. Talking about harm to future generations doesn’t move most people to react. If we were told an asteroid was going to hit us soon and wipe out all life, I could see lots of people getting very upset about their time being cut short. Also, the average number of children per family has been decreasing for decades (or centuries in some countries). Who’s losing hope because of that?
ETA:
Couldn’t find the Cosmic Pathway and a single human hair…
and its funny how many accuse children of hollywood-chliches, while its in my perception the other way around, sometimes the big industry finances by pure chance films like children, which is -again- in my opinion great and provocative art. its a filmmakers film.
