Films: Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth

We managed to view the two high profile genre films of 2006 this weekend. Only one of the two really wowed me. I expected to really enjoy Pan's Labyrinth based on the strength of The Devil's Backbone, but it was actually Children of Men that was the superior of the two.

Pan is a good film, but it suffers from a lack of cohesion, in my opinion. It's a good period piece, combined with what felt like about half of a moderately well-written genre story. The special effects of the genre parts were amazing, and the acting was convincing through the entire piece, but something was missing to make the genre bits necessary to the period bits. The opposite was true, but I'm not sure that the film wouldn't be just as good without the fairy tale aspects. It almost felt like two projects combined, but not quite successfully.

Children of Men painted a dire picture of a world of human sterility, with just really, really nice touches here and there, especially in the beginning as the film makers worked to establish the setting. I would have been perfectly content to watch a film based on these little touches, but it piled on some of the most realistic and disturbing action pieces seen on film since the ultra-real WWII violence from a few years back. I loved the way the script dangles hope in front of the characters and viewers, leading them to what simultaneously feels like certain death. I don't find myself sitting on the edge of my seat often. Also, amazingly well acted. Deserves the awards it will no doubt receive.

Also viewed, A Good Year. Meh on that one. Russell Crowe can do better. Lacking in any real serious tension. Made me miss France though. Wish I could move to a small village in rural France and have it be as nice as it looks in the movies.

Posted by JeremyT on January 14, 2007 07:34 PM| Permalink