 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
Children of Men (2 of 4)
Out of this dismal portrait, five heroes emerge. Theo Faron, is played by Clive Owen. He is hopeless, cynical, and alcoholic after the death of his son, the demise of his relationship with Julian, (played by Julianne Moore) and his retreat from activism for social justice. Until Theo is reawakened by Julian’s presence in his life again, Theo’s main lifeline is his best friend, Jasper. In a remarkable performance, Michael Caine plays Jasper, a kind and positive role model for Theo. Jasper, an old hippy type character has retreated from Britain’s chaos, living in a forested haven where he takes care of his invalid wife. He welcomes Theo with an open heart. He has witnessed the crushing of Theo’s spirit over time and is sympathetic, but unlike Theo, remains hopeful and humorous. Jasper represents the wisdom of the ages.
When Julian reappears in Theo’s life, she brings purpose and meaning to his buried soul. She is the leader of a revolutionary activist group called the Fishes, whose mission is to create a safe haven for all refugees. The Fishes find themselves at war with British government, only to implement their vision of equal rights for uprooted refugees. Julian seeks Theo’s help to obtain immigration papers for an illegal Fujian refugee because of his connections. The extreme polarities of British society are well depicted, as Theo is limousine driven to his cousin’s palace, with the song, In the Court of the Crimson King, playing in the background. He is protected by British soldiers driving alongside riverways reserved for the wealthy.
Theo retrieves the papers he needs per Julian’s request, but has not yet been made aware of the situation’s urgency. Theo and Julian rekindle the love they had for each other in the past. At this juncture in the film, the last of the two heroines are introduced, Miriam who is Kee’s caretaker, played by Pam Ferris, and Kee the Fujian refugee, played by Clare-Hope Ashitey. Theo, Kee, and three Fish members, Julian, Miriam, and Luke, played by Chiwetel Ejlofor, flee to a Fish safe house in the countryside. For a few moments, the audience is relieved of London’s brutality in the beautiful countryside of Britain’s forests and fields. The carload shares laughter and a lightness of being before the anarchy in Britain’s countryside is revealed. Suddenly, a mob of angry people block the fleer’s path with a blazing car, and attack them with rudimentary weapons. Julian is assassinated by gunmen on a motorcycle. All this happens as Luke frantically drives in reverse. The struggle for survival is so well delivered through Theo’s attempts to keep Julian alive, and Miriam’s navigation from the back seat in this gripping scene of life and death. The car backs up into a police snare, which they must now escape because they are harboring an illegal refugee. Luke ultimately kills two police officers in order for them to get away safely without exposing the refugee. Before they reach the safe house, they put Julian’s body to rest in the forest with a Fujian cultural prayer and ceremony. Theo is seized with pain and sorrow. The movie here touches human experience so universally by revealing Theo’s vulnerability to losing his most beloved, and breaking down in a situation overwhelmingly difficult to bear.
