Elizabeth – The Golden Age

I’d read reviews that said that this film was slow moving, so I prepared myself with low expectations. The reviewers got it right. It was slow moving and without much interest.

The costume jewelery was amazing, but Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen were not enough to make the film pop for me. I would have appreciated a prologue of historical events – for those of us who didn’t take history at school. Instead found myself lost in the film makers meandering plot. Consequently I’m none the wiser and will have to research it up myself (but at least I’m now interested enough to do so).

However a highlight was being encouraged by Mel and Richard to tap into our bad side and sit in the premiere seats (cozy and oh so luxurious leather seats) when we’d only paid for the cheap seats! Great fun! Such rebellion…

Steph’s rating: 6/10 (Seats: 10/10)

Children of Men

This is a movie I really enjoyed. Close to the best movie of the year.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the movie is set in Britain, the year is 2027, and the worlds youngest person is killed by a mob wanting an autograph. He is 18 years old and viewers around the world are stunned watching the news, which again highlights the trouble mankind is in, with no hope and no future.

‘Theo’ (Clive Owen) plays a depressed worker, who on hearing the news of the death uses it to get the afternoon off work, he is dragged into the story by his ex-wife who is a resistance leader, he helps partially for the money however their are obvious relationship reasons as well.

The task starts easy, get some papers via his brother to enable a woman across the border, as they are bringing her back they are intercepted by your typical mad max outcasts where the ex wife dies while escaping. As he gets ready to leave the group he discovers the woman is actually pregnant with the first child in 18 years, and finds himself protecting her from resistance and government alike who all have political agenda’s to use the child for their own purposes.

Throughout the movie the setting and technology are believable, “Theo’s” character is extremely well portrayed, never the hero, just doing what needs to be done, gradually changing, overcoming the past, and finding hope in getting the mother and child to safety.

Wayne’s rating 8.5/10