"Your Baby Is The Miracle The Whole World Has Been Waiting For." --- Jasper (Michael Caine)

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2007)

"Children of Men" (2006)
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, & Peter Mullan
MPAA Rating: "R" (for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity)
When "Children of Men" ended, I left the theater, feeling drained, depressed, and yet oddly content. Because, after nearly two hours of watching death, destruction, and war, we are left with an uplifting finale--an ending that, despite all of the atrocities we have witnessed, has a glimmer of hope. "Children of Men" is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen all year, being both completely enthralling and visually arresting. Sporting superb performances from Clive Owen and Claire-Hope Ashitey and the rest of the cast and one of the most intriguing premises presented this year, "Children of Men" is a massive achievement in movie-making. It is one of the strongest, most poignant films imaginable. It is an effective film, but, with that said, I must admit that its effect is very disturbing. In my theater, two people walked out and I suspect that it was because they could not handle the shocking material presented here. I, however, could not have left for I could never have pulled my eyes off of the screen. Moving and ultimately chilling, "Children of Men" is a must-see film.
In 2027, the world is in a very chaotic state. No more children are being born and the world's youngest person has just died at the age of eighteen. Theo (Owen) just wants to live out his life without much troubleuntil his ex-wife, Julian (Moore), comes and asks for his help. She introduces him to Kee (Ashitey), a young woman who is miraculously pregnant. Julian, a known rebel and target for the police, tells Theo that he must take Kee to a sanctuary at the sea where a group of scientists can hopefully use Kee's birth as a way to save the future of mankind. But, as Theo makes his way across the war-torn country into the very bowels of a hellish world, he will discover that, even in the darkest days of what could be the end of the world, there are still people who careand that what we once all took for granted is now our only hope.
Academy Award nominee, Clive Owen seems to be making movie after movieafter movieafter movie. I'm a big fan of most of his movies, from "Closer" to "Inside Man", and I feel that "Children of Men" is his best film to date. He gives a raw, unfiltered performance. I think that many actors seem to calculate their actions and how they say dialog prior to making the movie, but that does not appear to be Owen's technique here. His performance is steeped in realism. Julianne Moore got second billing despite having very limited screen time. I thought that her casting was purely brilliant. Moore is a big-name actress and it's great to see an actress of her caliber taking a limited role in a film. It gives the film an element of surprise that is reminiscent of what Alfred Hitchcock did in "Psycho" (1960). I love Michael Caine and he gives a great performance here. The real gem for me, however, is Claire-Hope Ashitey. The marketing executives of "Children of Men" practically ignored her when cutting trailers, making posters, and creating TV spots and yet she proves to be an amazing, beautiful actress who gives a perfectly credible and sympathetic performance. It worked so well. She completely blew me away.
As I have said, people left my theater before finishing the movie. "Children of Men" is not for everyone. Sensitive viewers will probably want to stay away and, even if all of the language and the brief glimpse of nudity were removed, it certainly isn't for young audiences. It is a shocking and depressing movie that rockets through violence, terror, and war to finally deliver a slightly hopeful ending. I am not often left completely speechless by a movie, but, when "Children of Men" ended, I really didn't feel like talking. I needed time to digest what I had seen and to truly comprehend everything. "Children of Men" is a must-see for mature viewers who can handle it. It is truly an amazing, brilliant movie that affects you emotionally. It's unlike anything I have ever seen beforeand, in a world where most movies are clichéd rip-offs or remakes, that comment speaks volumes about a movie.
Final Thought: A thought-provoking and emotionally-resonant film, "Children of Men" delivers a haunting, yet amazing story.
Overall Rating: 10/10 (A+)