By: Emily Roberts
With summer still in full force and the sun ablaze being outdoors is not always the ideal way to spend one’s day. So what should one do to pass the free time and not have to sweat, get dirty, or worry about lathering on the sunscreen? The perfect remedy to heat-stroke is the good ol’ fashioned fun activity of going out to rent a movie. With the old Dollar Theatre on Ward closed down, going out to the movies can be a hassle with parking and finding the perfect seat where your neck is not cramped and your elbows are not rubbing against some strangers’. Also, the selection of what to watch from a rental place certainly beats that of the select ten to twelve movies showing at a time. So now the new question is-what movie to rent? Recently I watched for my second time, Children of Men, and it is a must see.
Released about three years ago Children of Men takes place in the year 2027 when a plague of infertility has struck the world. Clive Owen plays an ex-activist, Theo, who agrees to help transport a woman, who is miraculously pregnant, to a safe place at sea where scientists may be able to use her and the baby to solve the procreation problem. With other convincing actors in the cast like Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, and Charlie Hunnam, you as a viewer begin to imagine yourself in that chaotic and dangerous society. The violence in the movie is not too intense, but the suspense filled action will have your heart pumping and your palms sweating. Director Alfonso Cuaron and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki create a horrifyingly believable apocalyptic scenario with an excellent setting and dramatic cinematography. From graffiti covered dirty streets, to the lush woodland, the action in the film is exhilarating with twists and turns that suck you in. If the beach is too far, too hot, or you simply feel like bumming around on your couch, head down to your local video rental place and pick up Children of Men.