Children of Men

If there was a single comfort that guided humanity through its darkest times, it was the idea that life would always go on. It has been the same for every generation. No matter how bleak or chaotic the state of the world seemed to be, people could always have hope for the future. But what if there was no future? This is the horrifying scenario depicted in Children of Men, the brilliant new film from director Alfonso Cuaron, loosely adapted from the science fiction novel by P.D. James. The time is 2027, and it has been almost 19 years since the last baby on Earth was born. For some reason or other (it is never explained, nor does it matter), humanity has been unable to produce children. The world has become a dystopia of violent extremists and elderly citizens, left with the terrible reality that in another fifty years, everyone will be gone. Clive Owen stars as Theo Faron, a London bureaucrat and former peace activist who has become resigned to the fact that all is lost. He spends his days wasting away, sometimes in the company of his hippie friend Jasper (played, as always, to perfection by Michael Caine), completely disillusioned about the fate of humanity. He is visited by Julian (Julianne Moore), a woman from his past—now turned revolutionary—who wants Theo’s aid in transporting a girl across the border. The girl’s name is Kee, and to Theo’s complete shock, it turns out that she is pregnant. The rest of the film is a journey in which Theo must bring Kee to safety while protecting her, and the secret she carries, at all costs. The film is thought provoking on every level, from its depiction of a frightening future in all its realism, to how it mirrors the world we live in today. Cuaron uses long takes to capture every scene, and he films the characters in medium shots rather than close-ups. The actors’ performances are never manipulated through the use of editing; rather they are left to speak for themselves. The ultimate effect is an incredible authenticity that accompanies every situation within the film. On top of this, the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki (The New World) is an absolute wonder to behold and will likely be analyzed and appreciated for years to come. These are just a few of the aspects that propel Children of Men into the same league as Metropolis, Blade Runner and Gattaca. It is a masterpiece of the genre.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron.
Written by Alfonso Cuaron, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby.
Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Charlie Hunnam, Pam Faris, Peter Mullan and Danny Huston.

Rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity. 107 min.

***** so says The Fish