Children of Men

N/A

• themovielord's Grade: A+
• Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release
• Rated: R
• Stars: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
• Writers: Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, based on the novel by P.D. James
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron
• Distributor: Universal Pictures

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All right! The bleak future film is back! With films like ‘The Time Machine’ (1960), ‘Blade Runner’ (1982), ‘The Terminator’ (1984), and ‘Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000’ (2000) we are shown bleak glimpses into humanity’s future. There always stand one person who is in defiance of that future. In ‘Children of Men’ that person is Clive Owen. He must take the last pregnant woman on Earth to safety to have her child.

There are many possible futures and like in ‘V for Vendetta’ (2005) England is the last standing country in the world. Okay I can buy that. It is after all a tiny island and can be easily isolated from the rest of the world. Since they have the means this is believable. Much like the rest of this film is believable. It’s a dark future we are looking at but one that perhaps not many writers or theorists have thought of. It is the complete opposite of the over population theory and since there are no huge jumps in technology (i.e. robots) this film transcend the typical stigma of a sci-fi only audience.

Owens’s portrayal of Theo is believable and true. Much like in the ‘Inside Man’ Owen is displaying the credo to establish himself as the next great actor. However it is another actor, Michael Caine who has a delicious part of an old tired political activist that sits out in the country and spouting jokes and smoking pot that really steals the show. Caine who long took any part that came to him is now moving up the ladder and taking his well deserved mantle of great actor. ‘Children of Men’ gives him a part that allows him to break from the butlers, doctors, and old gentlemen and really play something different.

It’s hard not to ruin anything for you my reader about this film but I do grow tired of writing about performances but I will stay true to my promise of not spoiling the film for you but I would like to say that there was one particular moment in the film where one voice cried out and it stopped all the insanity. It was a very powerful moment. I thought perhaps we need more of these voices and the world might be a better place (you’ll understand once you see the film).