Best Apocalyptic Film in Years (but not for the TV Babies)
This film certainly seems to provoke mixed reactions. Many of the published reviews I've read are either favorable or unfavorable based on how well the critic thinks film stacks up against the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. I haven't read it, and therefore have no basis for comparison. So for me the questions is: did the filmmakers and actors succeed in creating something beautiful, truthful and timeless? For my money: YES, and let's add to that list of descriptors "heartbreaking", "disturbing" and "haunting". Movie fans hoping for "Armageddon" or "The Terminator" will be disappointed in this vision of the apocalypse. There are few pyrotechnics, almost no SPFX, and the pacing is slow - more "2001" than "2012". Like "Children of Men", it requires an actual attention span and a stomach for melancholy, which is apparently too much to ask of many viewers. But for those who can appreciate the grim atmosphere, exquisite acting and all-too-believable premise and dialogue, this film is a gem.