Review: “The Children of Men” by P.D. James and “Children of Men” by Alfonso Cuaron (Clive Owen)

PODCAST:

Listen to the podcast here (click to play/right click and select “save target as” to download):

S1E11 – The Children of Men (book/movie)*

WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS:

Ryan: 4 Stars “…Mass infertility leaves a dwindling society listless and jaded, but hope and faith lies in the hands of the meek. This story has a reflective deepness…”

Wilk: 4 Stars “…This book is well written, with both broad themes and nuance…”

Rick: 4 Stars “…P.D. James illuminates the entanglements of Machiavellian and Christian ideologies when both vie to procure ultimate salvation to humanity in the year 2021- the first baby to be born in 27 years…”

(Click the links to read full written reviews on Goodreads.com)

 

SUBJECT MATTER:

“The Children of Men” by P.D. James

Book: “The Children of Men” by P.D. James

“Told with P. D. James’s trademark suspense, insightful characterization, and riveting storytelling, The Children of Men is a story of a world with no children and no future.

The human race has become infertile, and the last generation to be born is now adult. Civilization itself is crumbling as suicide and despair become commonplace. Oxford historian Theodore Faron, apathetic toward a future without a future, spends most of his time reminiscing. Then he is approached by Julian, a bright, attractive woman who wants him to help get her an audience with his cousin, the powerful Warden of England. She and her band of unlikely revolutionaries may just awaken his desire to live . . . and they may also hold the key to survival for the human race.” (from Amazon.com)

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“Children of Men” by Alfonso Cuaron (Clive Owen)

 

Movie: “Children of Men” by Alfonso Cuaron (Clive Owen)

“In the year 2027, eighteen years since the last baby was born, disillusioned Theo (Clive Owen) becomes an unlikely champion of the human race when he is asked by his former lover (Julianne Moore) to escort a young pregnant woman out of the country as quickly as possible. ” (from Amazon.com)

 

 

WILK’S SHOW NOTES:

A dystopian future without hope, joy, or an escape. An accurate description of this month’s podcast and the mood of the hosts. We also read Children of Men, which seemed to provide a more upbeat narrative and tone than the actual episode. This broadcast represented a turning point in our program. The infighting became outfighting that lasted several weeks. We can only hope that this mood was not lost on our listeners.

Overall, everyone hated each other, and the book was an afterthought. I think we all agreed, once we put our guns down, that the writing was superior. P.D. James is gifted and writes elegantly, without wasting words. However, each of us came away with something different from the book.

Ryan saw redemption in the character, Wilk (me) saw him as selfish douche bag, and Rick saw both the character and Wilk as a selfish douche bag.

While no consensus was reached on whether or not the main character was heroic or just in the right place to assume power, it was generally agreed that I was an ass.

All three panelists enjoyed the movie. I was crying on the inside when we discussed it—but it was agreed that although the movie took liberties with the story, I was still a jerk. Also, the movie worked very well, making a few major and minor changes.

One of the most thought-provoking discussions during the episode concerned the origin of the “happening” that rendered the world infertile. I saw it as something deliberate, a “benevolent holocaust,” whereas Ryan saw it as a natural-occurring event. Rick was more or less in the middle, but he did agree that he wished I was dead.

So, overall, it was an emotional journey that almost destroyed us all. In other words, our best show yet. So, stay tuned in for next month. And remember to blast yourself in the face and armpits with a power washer before you come, because there is no deodorant in outer space!!!! *

– Wilk

FUN FACTOIDS:

On the podcast we talked about director Alfonso Cuaron’s trademark “long shots.” Although the long takes in this film were not actually one continuous single take (they were pieced together later), they are put together in such a seamless way that they have the feel of being a singular shot. These scenes are iconic and well known, the film crew took great pains to make them happen. Check out this YouTube clip that goes behind the scenes of the filmaking process and shows what care and effort was put into making this amazing film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJprbCuWdHo.

Unfortunately P.D. James passed away after the recording of this podcast, but before its release. Certainly there is nothing “fun” about this factoid (and we offer our condolences to her family and loved ones), but we thought we would provide a link to an  obituary if you want to know more about this talented author: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11258055/PD-James-obituary.html.

 

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.

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