Children Of Men

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Apocalypto, the Mel Gibson directed epic about a Mayan tribesman who is captured and seperated from his family. This was perhaps the most graphic and violent movie I’d seen in some time, and the fact that it was presented as historically accurate it shook me more than the same level of graphic violence does nightly in various video games.

I felt that same shaken feeling after Children Of Men. Clive Owen stars with support from Julianne Moore and Michael Caine in a science fiction thriller set in the near future where not only has the world gone to crap from terrorists and political unrest, but infertility has struck every woman on the planet, thereby ending the progress of civilization. The action takes place in Britain, credited often as one of the only nations left standing after all this mess.

Not that theres much to stand on. If ever there were a future I didn’t want to live in, this was surely it. A quick calculation of the film’s date in relation to my own birthday would putting me nearing 50 years old. How would I live in a world without a future? I can accept my own mortality just fine, but the comforting thought that makes that possible is the idea that someone will be there to take my place some day.

Alfonso Cuarón is best known for his direction of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as well as the oscar nominated Y tu mamá también. His style is dark and visceral here, letting steadicam shots go on for as long as ten minutes as the action unfolds. It doesn’t give the viewer any room to breathe, which heightens the tension in some of the most violent scenes. You feel as trapped and fearful as Owen’s character Theo, who at the outset of the film has lost all hope for both himself and humanity, and by the end is wrapped in a purpose so much bigger than he is, running past gunfire and into refugee camps are merely means to an end. The characters dry sense of humour is so british its practically cliche, but only lightens the mood enough to keep the desperate times at hand from turning worse. Cinematography and visual effects, set design and costuming; all perfect.

The above trailer gives away more than I’d reccomend knowing when you see it, but like some of the best movies I’ve ever seen, Children Of Men is an experience that grips you from start to finish and cannot be capsulized in a trailer or written critique. I reccomend you see this movie. There are no other good movies out right now. Don’t see that shit pile horror flick, crass kids movie, or low brow comedy. Your money would be wasted. Children Of Men should be a shoe-in for whatever awards ceremonies are to come in the next few months.