Re: Children of Men

[cleolinda]

Wow, so... Children of Men. That was... wow. "Intense" might be the best, non-spoilery word to describe it. I would definitely say go see it; it's one of the best "visions of the future,” as they always say in the Movies Set in a Dystopian Future trailers (“FROM THE DIRECTOR OF [BLAH] COMES A VISION OF THE FUTURE LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE”), that I think I've ever seen in a movie--precisely because it looks like the present. Alfonso Cuarón takes images from today, the kind of chaos you see happening on CNN in someone else's country, and says it's happening now, but it's happening to you. It's 2027, but there's no lasers, no robots, no flying cars. Just 24-hour news channels and Starbucks and flip-flops. There's a few bits of "future" technology here and there, but they're mostly glossed over; the movie is mostly about the way the things we're doing right now, as nations, as people, is going to bite us in the ass if we don't open our eyes to what we're doing to each other. It's almost like there's two movies going on--a movie about a man drawn against his will into a journey to get a pregnant woman, perhaps the last pregnant woman, to safety, and a movie in the background, in the periphery and the corner of your eye, about human rights injustices--the shit that we're doing to each other--today. And in that respect, the movie pretty much doesn't pull any punches--Cuarón signals about half an hour in (and I'll get to that behind the cut) that this may be a movie but it's not going to play by the rules--the safe clichés and formulas we’re used to. No one is safe, because that's life. In conclusion: Go see it.




Seriously, giant spoilers, I'm not kidding. Turn back nowwwwww.

So there's that first scene, the one you see in the trailer where Clive Owen buys his coffee and suddenly a storefront blows up behind him. Right before we cut to another scene, there's a woman staggering out, screaming, and she's got no left arm. It's been blown off. Now, it went by so fast that I'm not sure, but I think she may have been holding the arm in her other hand. This is the movie telling you what you can expect: shit is going to happen when you least expect it, and the gore might stay in the background, but it's going to be there, and it's going to be realistic, and it's going to be bad. And then, I don't know how far in exactly, but I'd guess maybe 30 minutes in: Julianne Moore dies, in pretty much the most sudden and shocking way possible. This movie is telling you at this point that absolutely no one is safe, and in fact, I turned to one of the friends I was with and muttered, "Oh, shit. Everyone's gonna die, aren't they?" The movie is telling you that life is short and senseless and unfair, even as it dangles this one thread of hope, and it's pretty much going to keep telling you this, and here's why that's brilliant from a filmmaking point of view: you spend every single second waiting for the other shoe to drop. You figure that whatever the worst that could happen at that particular moment is, that's what's going to happen. And a good bit of the time? It does. There was a point where I was actually like, "Yay! [Someone]'s going to use the suicide kit! Thank God." This is also the kind of movie where, two minutes later, you find yourself mentally shrieking, "Fuck! Why didn't you use the suicide kit! I'm sure there was enough for both of you!" Hell, this is the kind of movie where suicide kits are advertised on TV like allergy medications ("You Decide When It's Time"); you half expect the ad to end with a soothing "Ask your doctor!" My point is, after Julianne Moore took a bullet in the throat, we spent the rest of the movie expecting bombs to go off during any momentary lull and whoever was currently onscreen to get shot in the head in the middle of his next sentence. Cuarón didn't even have to build up any kind of suspense--we did all of that for him. The camera just charges through the movie like a war correspondent; there's a fairly long sequence following Owen in a dash from ruin to ruin where there's three drops of blood on the lens for the whole scene. And while there's some really beautiful framing in a scene where Jasper talks about Theo's son--and apparently some "unprecedented" camerawork in the car/death scene, the camera mostly just watches or follows, dragging you with it. Most of the horrors happen in the background--keep an eye out for some Abu Ghraib-esque imagery when Miriam's taken away--which ratchets the tension up even higher; you feel like you're being assaulted from all sides, and you never know when any of those horrors are going to charge in front and center.

At the same time, there's a surprising amount of humor in the movie. As awful as the first car chase is, the second--possibly the slowest car chase ever filmed--is hilarious. And you will never hear "Pull my finger" quite the same way again, I promise you that.

Two reactions I want to note, for some reason:

1) Clive Owen is trying to get away from a minor character who is both 1) heavily armed and 2) deeply pissed off, and takes him out with a brick to the face. Like, a really graphic, squelchy brick. We hear about three rows' worth of guys in the front of the theater all simultaneously wail "OHHHHHHHHHH." Seriously, they may have all been together. For some reason, I think that was the most visceral reaction from the audience in the entire movie, and it wasn't anywhere near the most graphic or harrowing.

2) We were sitting through the credits trying to process what we'd just seen (well, technically, I was trying to screw my glasses back together, as they decided to fall apart at precisely that second), and a middle-aged couple passes us going down the stairs. The woman, who has reddish grandma hair (you know the style I'm talking about) stops, looks at us, and says "Did you like that?" We sort of stare at her, and she laughs in this Yeah, me neither way, and kind of swats her hand and says, "Nahhhh." Guys? It's not the kind of movie you "like." It's a great movie. But you're not gonna want any popcorn, if you get what I'm saying.

Also, I can’t get rid of this nagging feeling that “children of men” is a famous phrase or a quotation of some sort, but I can’t place it, and searches aren’t turning anything up. Anyone? ETA: Ahhhh, Psalm 90. There we go. ETA: Okay, folks are coming up with multiple Biblical references. Interesting.

Comments

I was raised by a Lutheran minister...

[bluestocking7.livejournal.com]

Psalm 90: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

PS

[bluestocking7.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with your assessment of this film. Have you read the book?

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

La la la avoiding spoilerzzzzzzz.
The only reference I immediately think of is the Psalm--Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
(Between this and Pan I really need to get to the cinema.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

So now that's two Bible quotes with "children of men." Interesting.

[purpleivey.livejournal.com]

Wow. I really want to see it now, but obviously it's the sort of movie you have to be in a certain mood and plan for. Which means I may not get around to, as I live in rural TN and they probably aren't even gonna show it anywhere near hear. Damn.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't know how, but I went into this one knowing nothing but what I'd seen in the trailer, that there were spectacular reviews, and that people were coming out saying it was "extremely depressing." I wasn't prepared for it to be a frickin' war movie, in essence, and I'm kind of glad I wasn't--I'm not sure I would have gone if I'd had any idea how tense the whole thing would be, and I'm glad I saw it. It's the kind of movie you might not want to see a second time... except that I kind of want to get the eventual DVD so I can see all the extras about how they shot the car scene, because you know they'll have that.

[darth-snarky.livejournal.com]

I saw it a little after Christmas, and it was amazing. I agree with what you've said about it.

Children of men--I'm pretty sure it's biblical, and Google has it showing up in Psalm 107 (http://www.bartleby.com/108/19/107.html) but I don't know if that's it or not. (The phrase also turns up in the book of Daniel and also Samuel, but in those cases I don't know how you could relate it to the movie at all.)

Of course, it could be something entirely different.

[darth-snarky.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm stupid and didn't see the other comments above mine.

[darastar.livejournal.com]

thank GOD you've seen it too. because now i'm just thinking...should i have babies now? and what about that flu epidemic? and holy crap - julianne moore's character is the age that i'll be when it's that future time, and i think that's one of the first time that's happened and i felt like it could actually happen to me that way (well...not being that character, but that sort of future).

my favorite humorous bits were the baby names. and our entire theater made one unanimously shocked noise when theo (clive's character?) did the head-smash bit with the car batter(?)

but the best part was turning to my friend at the end and going, "Hm...the last big thing that Alfonso Cuaron made before this movie was...Harry Potter." makes you wonder a bit.

yeah - really incredible movie. not a movie to see "for fun".

[wilhelmina-d.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting reaction. I DO NOT want kids, and yet I came out of that feeling guilty for not wanting them and wondering if I should become a midwife or teacher just to help keep the human race going.

Spoilers in comment (Incase I need to warn people?)

[honerbright.livejournal.com]

Such an amazing and powerful film.
That scene where Mirium is taken away and when Kee + Theo are walking out of that building and everyones just silent and staring, just... wow.
Julianne Moore getting killed off so quickly absolutely shocked me. As bad as it was, I love it when a movie sort of just throws something like that at you, so completely unexpected, and like you said, "This movie is telling you at this point that absolutely no one is safe".
And that whole pull-my-finger thing, holy crap. I pretty much hid behind my hands during that part. (Did we find out what happened to the dog? I can't remember)

Re: Spoilers in comment (Incase I need to warn people?)

[dimethirwen.livejournal.com]

When they went into the house (before they killed him), they came back out and said "There's a dead woman and dog inside" (or something to that effect). I'm assuming he gave them the Quietus.

[keilen.livejournal.com]

Hoorah Miss Cleolinda!

I just ordered my copy of m15m!!!

I'm so excited!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Aww, yay!

[miladygrey.livejournal.com]

The book (which I read when the very first rumors of the movie began surfacing, about a year ago) broke my heart in a quiet, fatalistic sort of way. It was elegaic--this is the way the world ends; not with a bang, but with a whimper. I have gotten the impression from reviews and previews that the movie does not go quietly. Also, that my heart will be broken in a messy and gory way.

I'll wait for the DVD. I think If I saw this in the theater, I'd go looking for one of those Suicide Kits after.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the book, but the movie does end with hope. It's more what gets sacrificed along the way to protect that hope that's so harrowing.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

Jon Carroll did an entire column about why you should go see this film. If you don't know about Jon Carroll, well, look him up. He has a LJ.He has never, to my knowledge, shilled for a movie before.

[thatpalechick.livejournal.com]

I am attempting to remain as spoiler-free as possible, but regarding the "children of men" quote, I would like to say that in the Bible, angels and demons(being fallen angels) are referred to as "children of God". It's interesting to ponder whether or not the film's title is, in part, showing how far from God or holiness the human race is. Probably not, but it's something to think about.

[theonlykow.livejournal.com]

That's actually a semi-prominent theme, although it's far from major. Some background noise makes it seem like almost all people believe it.

[holding-pattern.livejournal.com]

Suicide kit - his bit went to the dog. Which told you a lot about him, I think. I think I used "intense" as the main description of that movie... haven't read the book, but it hit a lot of buttons from other dystopia-books I read as a kid. It's definitely one of my favourites from 2007, but it'll be a little while before I can cope with watching it again.

[linake.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you've said. Keeping with the spoiler free-ness of the comments, I'll say that the scene you described above where the camera is following a character is stunning, and impeccabaly choreographed. I almost couldn't believe that it was all one shot -- and though I have seen longer single-shot camera work before, this one stands out from the rest because of the amount of action going on in the scene.

Another shot that I found beautiful was when the two characters were in the old children's school, and the other character was sitting on the swings outside. The two inside characters were on the left of the screen looking out the window, and you could see the third through the holes broken in a window a few meters down the wall just left of them. I don't want to give ANYTHING away, so I didn't even use names :P

I think I'm going to see it again tomorrow. It's definitely the greatest movie I've seen at the theatre in a long while.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Like I said a few comments above, I'm really looking forward to the DVD, because you know they'll do behind-the-scenes look at the camerawork, which was apparently extremely innovative. And the thing is, the only scene that I really went, "Wow, the camerawork is really great here" was the scene where they're talking about Dylan at Jasper's house, and that was just the way the shot was framed. The rest of the time, I was just going OH MY GOD OH MY GOD AHHHHH, which is to say, the camerawork served what was happening in the movie rather than drawing attention to itself. Which is a good thing. I was shocked to realize later that the car scene was one long shot, because I hadn't noticed that at all--I was too busy freaking out. I think it'll be easier to watch the movie a second time if I focus on technical aspects. And also because I know when to look away now.

[artemis-archer.livejournal.com]

*spoilers*

"Intense" is definitely the word I heard more people using to describe it when we were leaving the theater. I was so shocked when Julianne Moore died but that really seemed to cement the tone of the whole film. It was just so sudden and so... holy crap did she just die? Even though things are just getting started? I was sitting in the second row and when Clive Owen pwned that guy with the brick, me and everyone around me practically jumped out of our chairs. And I cry at the drop of a hat and was crying during the whole scene when Kee was walking out of the building with the baby and everyone was kneeling down. The best part of that scene was how the soldiers all stopped shooting because they were witnessing a miracle and then just as fast they picked up their guns and started shooting again.

Did anyone else expect that giant inflatable pig to explode? I felt so anxious during that scene and kept waiting for it to happen. I guess those sort of scenes put you in the right mindside of living in a world where even the powerful cities are no longer safe and bombs can go off at any time. I mean, I know many places in the world are like that now but I don't think most people in the US for example wake up everyone morning and go about their business with the fear of terrorist attacks at any moment.

I feel like volunteering or doing something useful now.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Even though things are just getting started?

I kind of know how people who were seeing Psycho in the theater for the first time felt now.

And I cry at the drop of a hat and was crying during the whole scene when Kee was walking out of the building with the baby and everyone was kneeling down.

I did too.

I mean, I know many places in the world are like that now but I don't think most people in the US for example wake up everyone morning and go about their business with the fear of terrorist attacks at any moment.

Interestingly, the theater was packed (apparently it's the local high school hangout, and showings of We Are Marshall were selling out, for some reason), so we had a long, long walk back to the car. And we talked about how the whole time we kept feeling like a storefront was about to blow out or something. For at least a little while afterwards, you're kind of keyed up to expect violence, and you start to understand what it would be like to live in a conflict zone.

[fadagaski.livejournal.com]

I knew that this film had come out in the UK in September, with me stuck here in Canada where they're only now releasing it in certain cities, so I did the smart thing and downloaded. Fabulous movie - probably one of the best I've ever seen in any genre. My friend and I went to see Blood Diamond today, and I mention it only because the movies are somewhat similar in style and content, but Children of Men hits harder because it is free of most of the conventions, cliches and stereotypes of war movies (sadly, Blood Diamond is more methodical in its depictions, to its detriment). I liked the incorporation of 'futuristic' details, such as the electric-engine cars, and I liked that people could still be gunned down by other people. What's truly frightening is that Britain would act in exactly this way during this scenario; if the rest of the world falls to pieces, we will shut it out, and damn to hell anyone who tries to sneak into our 'haven'.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

And psychologically it makes sense--an island nation kind of pulling into itself. I mean, you could imagine people reacting that way, not that they should. I actually felt very uncomfortable because I could see the US attempting to react in a similar way--we've already had people arguing about tighter immigration laws. I say attempting, though, because we're talking about such a large landmass that I just don't think anyone could police two giant borders and two giant seacoasts with the efficiency they do in Children of Men.

The weird thing was, when the movie started out and it was all like THE WORLD COLLAPSES, BRITAIN CARRIES ON, I started having weird flashbacks to V for Vendetta ("ENGLAND PREVAILS!"). And there's two movies for you that are so incredibly different both in style and substance, and yet about similar things.

[evilprodigy.livejournal.com]

Hi, I've never commented here before but I heartily agree with you on Children of Men. :) I should add, though, that the shaky camera work had me dry-heaving in the bathroom and drinking water until I could stand to watch another 20 minutes or so, so I saw about, oh, 2/3 of it. Mr. Cuaron. Shaky camera is fine when reserved for chaotic battles.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was't just me? I had to walk out of the movie and haven't seen the end.

Has the Biblical Reference to Jesus being referred to by others as the Son of God and by himself as the Son of Man come up yet?

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

Spoilers:
My cousin kept saying that she didn't like how dirty things were, the pollution and all that. I repeated, "They don't care, they're all going to die, it doesn't matter." I absolutely hated it when Jasper's end came, but I'm glad I heard he used the suicide kit on the dog too, at least I assume so from what one of the guys said, "A dead woman and a dog". My favorite scene: When they're walking down the stairs after Clive gets shot, and all the soldiers are just stoppping in their tracks when they hear/see the baby, and they let them walk on with some soldiers kneeling and crossing themselves. I love that scene.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

What I loved about that, also, was that they promptly went back to blowing shit up the moment Theo and Kee were out of sight. Because, as we decided afterwards, they're the children of men. They'll never be able to stop. And I think in retrospect it may be one of the bleakest moments in the movie, or at least the one with the grimmest implications, because you start to wonder: what are they saving humanity for?

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

I liked the movie a LOT. Then again, being a film student I probably came at it from a different angle. I worship Cuaron so much. This was my favourite movie of the year and it's been completely ignored by the awards, which saddens me. It's so tense and terrifying and incredible.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, I think that's why it was ignored--I'm not sure this is the kind of movie that Academy types can sit all the way through (unless, she said cynically, it's got Spielberg's name on it). I'm amazed that Babel is getting the kind of awards attention that it is for the same reason, and I half suspect that awards voter types wouldn't have given it a chance in the first place except for the Brad Pitt factor. If COM does astounding box office this weekend--which it might or might not, I have no idea--it might squeak into the final round of awards, since it only opened for the first time in the US on Christmas Day. If nothing else, I would like to see some kind of nomination in art direction and cinematography, but unfortunately, art direction in particular tends to go to "pretty" movies, rather than a movie like this where half the story is actually told through the clippings on the walls and the ads in the background.

[angelene.livejournal.com]

precisely because it looks like the present.

PRECISELY.

I kept wondering 'wait, how did we end up like that?' and then I turned the TV on and... 'remembered' which kind of world I'm living it and it's no different. *shudder*


[HERE BE SPOILERS]

but I think she may have been holding the arm in her other hand.

She most definitely is.

Julianne Moore dies, in pretty much the most sudden and shocking way possible.

I got spoilered on that point (in that I actually saw it before watching the rest of the movie), so I wasn't as shocked as visually mesmerized by the gorgeous(ly dramatic) composition/camerawork of that scene. Aww.

Maybe that's the reason I didn't find the movie very suspenseful. I knew, pretty much, that the characters that were going to die (Theo, in particular), would. It was just a matter of where, when and how. *sigh* :(

there's a fairly long sequence following Owen in a dash from ruin to ruin where there's three drops of blood on the lens for the whole scene.

I usually am not a fan of the blood/dirt on camera effect -- but the way Cuaron uses it, it's hardly (ever) accidental. It's... I don't know, very 'in the watcher's face'. The whomping willow shakes snow off its branches and you jump on your seat a little because 'hey! that's just rude' and you can almost feel the colid semisolid washing off your skin. Same with the blood that splatters all over the (back of the) car, when Julianne is shot (or in the abovementioned scene(, and... you got some in your eyes, too, for a while. It's very appropriate, and amazing.


"Fuck! Why didn't you use the suicide kit! I'm sure there was enough for both of you!"

But the Fishes would've reprised their hunting a lot earlier/quicker, had said person used the suicide kit too!

For some reason, I think that was the most visceral reaction from the audience in the entire movie, and it wasn't anywhere near the most graphic or harrowing

I too reacted kind of strong(er)ly to that; I think it's because Theo is such a positive (and quiet) character, and that's but the second 'act of violence' that you see him perform on another human being.

Oh, sorry for the longish re:comment. I really enjoyed reading yours, and it got me furtherly pondering over my own reactions to the movie. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh, the comments on a movie reviewish entry are always fun, so I look forward to them.

But the Fishes would've reprised their hunting a lot earlier/quicker, had said person used the suicide kit too!

See, we were talking about that, and I was like, "Except for Theo WASTING THE TIME he was buying them by watching the whole thing!"

I too reacted kind of strong(er)ly to that; I think it's because Theo is such a positive (and quiet) character, and that's but the second 'act of violence' that you see him perform on another human being.

I think also that Theo serves as the audience substitute--most heroes do, being drawn in to some kind of mission or quest, and plunging into some new world they and the audience have to struggle through. So really, it probably gets a visceral reaction because it's the first time (or the second) that "you" get to strike back.

Maybe that's the reason I didn't find the movie very suspenseful. I knew, pretty much, that the characters that were going to die

This is why I went in trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible--I'm still not sure how I did it, because I usually get spoiled even when I'm not trying to. This is probably the first movie in a long, long time where I literally knew nothing except what I had seen in the trailer. I could still extrapolate that, you know, Kee and Theo weren't going to die at that moment because we hadn't gotten to the part in the boat yet, but I also sat there thinking, "Yeah, they spend a lot of time running around by themselves in that trailer. Shit, everyone's going to die, aren't they?"

I got spoilered on that point (in that I actually saw it before watching the rest of the movie), so I wasn't as shocked as visually mesmerized by the gorgeous(ly dramatic) composition/camerawork of that scene.

I have to say, the moment in the trailer where the Molotov cocktail hits the--front window? I can't remember which way the car is turned at that point--but it's timed in the trailer so that you're not expecting it at all? That was the moment when I said, "I have to see this movie." I mean, I was going to anyway, just because of Cuaron and Owen and Moore, but that's when I got a glimmering of the kind of experience it was going to be.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

I really wish I could like it as much as you and others do. I agree with nearly everything you say, for instance. It keeps you on your toes; the camera work is amazing; things are intense. For some reason, though, I remained emotionally unconnected from the characters and everything that was going on. And the movie ended without exploring anything. He saved the mother and her child, the end. I expected more from such a high-concept movie. The story wasn't compelling, even though the VISION OF THE FUTURE was.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

The one thing I would add to that is that the scene where they're walking down the stairs and everyone stops with that religious kind of shock and respect... and then go back to blowing each other up the moment they're out of sight: that, to me, raised the entire question of whether there was any point in saving Kee and the baby at all. I'm really not sure that they actually "saved humanity"; people might start having children again, but for what purpose? Reproduction isn't going to reverse the fact that "the world has collapsed," and it's not going to stop millions (billions?) of people from trying to immigrate to the one country that still seems to function, which in turn is leading to all the horrible camps and cages and death squads. In that light, I think it's a much bleaker movie.

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend continues to insist that Theo's death at the end was the most pointless thing he'd ever seen. He's pissed off that the guy survived for that long only to poignantly expire about thirty minutes before Help arrives.

[queenthesixth.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a fantastic film when I saw it in September. Bleak, yes, and disturbingly reminiscent of what's going on around us but the characters really drew me in. I'm the type of person who wouldn't wear flip-flops in a blue fit, much less if I were running for my life so to have Theo wearing them was making me squirm as much as everything else that was going on.

A friend of mine went to see it twice and he said he noticed a lot more detail, both in the plot and adverts/graffiti the second time. I'm sorry too it's not being noticed more during awards season. Clive Owen gave a great performance.

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

I haven't gone to see a movie in the theater for months, and I haven't voluntarily said "Hey let's go see X" (as opposed to a friend saying "We're going to go see X, come along!") in years.

But I am so going to go see this.

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

I am ridiculously excited that you liked it so much, and most especially that Cuaron's made another brilliant film.

[havocs-roman.livejournal.com]

I really liked Children of Men, too. I can't say the plot reverberated on
me as much as it did on you, though. I went to see it mostly for the incredible and pertinent premise (not having read the book), so it was slightly disappointing to see it deteriorate into what was, essentially, a "villains chase heroes" plot. I loved Cuarón's style, his vision of the future, and the great cinematography, but, for such a great premise, I found the last 2/3 of the movie a very stylish, but ultimately hollow action flick. Not much is made of that terrifying background that rings so close to home, and it made me wonder about why they bothered to set it up so carefully if it was just a pretext for saving the damsel.

[wilhelmina-d.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was just a pretext, though I would have liked more about the not being able to have children. I think that in this the children may well have represented our hope for a future and maybe it said that the things we were doing were dooming us to leaving a world like the one in this movie for our children.

But, I would love to know why they couldn't have kids.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ravengirl/]

I saw this movie last night and everything you said is *exactly* how I felt about it but I couldn't put it into words. I was sort of shell-shocked after it. People ask me "did you like it?" and I really honestly couldn't say either way, and even though I don't think I'll see it again I'm glad I saw it. It's heartbreaking and horrific and beautiful and hopeful (omgggg the scene at the end? When they're coming out of the building holding the baby... I was bawling).

Anyway I'm glad I was able to read your review because you hit on pretty much everything that I had been feeling.