Visionary! A remarkable technical achievement.

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2007)

This brilliant and understated sci-fi thriller, is a truly revolutionary movie. As a technical achievement this ranks as one of cinema's, important achievements. Technically yes, it's superb, but equally the film has meaning too, and challenges. The dystopic future sub-genre is one that often can be overdone, overblown and overwrought, but not so here. Under the guidance of most other directors doing this sort of film nowadays, this would have been laden with CGI, and without the meaning underneath the visual sheen. Here director Alfonso Cuaron puts the audience in a world that's believable and within possibility. This is not a future staring at oblivion to come in a flash, it's a future that has long been slowly crawling to the end of humanity.
The human race has been slowly dying out for 18 years, since women have become infertile. Clive Owen plays a man watching in quiet, dismal contemplation at the hopelessness around him, until he's contacted by his ex-wife, played by Julianne Moore. She's part of a group called the human project, part rebel, part terrorist, who oppose the fascist government that is running, and ruining what's left of Britain. Refugees, immigrants are illegal, no longer welcome, and the rest of the world isn't in much better shape. Julian (Moore) wants Theo (Owen) to transport a girl down south, from London. The importance of this girl becomes paramount when it's revealed she's pregnant. The first pregnancy in 18 years. Different factions would no doubt want to use this to their own ends, and Owen takes it upon himself to take her to hope, or to the human fund. Of course there are many obstacles in the way. The premise is dark, and similarly frightening. Amongst it all, Cuaron ensures the dialogue, the actors feel natural.
The film is of a genre done before, yet feels fresh, from the scripting, to the look of the film. Indeed Cuaron's earthy, un-showy look, using a dreary, almost dead colour palette and a lot of handled work, evoke a sense of reality. As does his tendency for lots of extended single shot takes. It would be interesting to count the amount of cuts in this film, but it would be a hell of a lot lower than the average Hollywood movie. Indeed this is a daring, and engrossing move from Cuaron. The extended takes, keep the audience right in the action, engaging, pulling you in. None more so than during the exhilarating action scenes with some of the most technically astounding sequences, all in one long take, one shot, and you can't help but be amazed. It's not some overly showy, hollow and cold CGI exhibition, it's down to meticulous planning, timing and execution. We've seen things such as Superman, Star Wars in the last couple of years thanks to the glory of CGI, but the action scenes in this are far more exciting and far superior in concept and execution. The simple fact that the actors are put in a situation whereby they must be in perfect sync with the stunt guys, the cameraman, and remember their cues, their positions etc, it's a miraculous technical and artistic achievement. The first action scene, as well as the finale (which is an insanely long single shot) are awe inspiring.
The cast too are brilliant. Clive Owen continues to fly the flag for Britain, and make a good name for himself. Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetal Ejiofor, and Pam Ferris are all superb in support, while the young Claire-Hope Ashitay is also impressive as Kee. All under the expert and visionary direction of Alfonso Cuaron, who surely is one of the next big names, and perhaps in the new wave of excellence in genre films, once taken up by the likes of Spielberg, Cameron, Scott. Children Of Men is surely a landmark in cinema, and will certainly gain in reputation as the years go by. This will be a revisionist film. *****