Suspense at its greatest.

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2011)

The theme of Children of Men is hope, and in Alfonso Cuaron's film, it has to overcome the most daunting of odds. Clive Owen plays Theo, a man living in London during a time when women are no longer capable of giving birth, and the extinction of the human race is not only certainly at end, it has been accepted by the people themselves. London is in a militarized state, and suicide is not only common, but encouraged by the government as an alternative to the violence taking place.
As expected by the mood of the plot, and Cuaron's past films, such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men is a dark film. After all, the human race is coming to an end. The lighting is dark and the environs are dirty, which draws comparisons to Azkaban, which was by far the darkest of the Harry Potter series. Even the scenes filmed during the day are dark, which is just a further reinforcement of the message that we don't want to live in a world where hope is this far gone.
There is a hope, and it lies in one woman, Kee, played by Clare-Hope Ashitey, who is the last pregnant woman alive. Theo is quickly drawn into the mix and must protect Kee at all costs, and ensure that the baby and mother are delivered to safety, in both senses of the word. There are supporting characters that lend to his quest, such as Jasper, played by Michael Caine, Theo's old activist buddy, and Julianne Moore as Julian, Theo's ex-wife. Jasper is a burnout that is the noblest of men when he is challenged, and Moore's character provides an inspiring side story of her and Theo regaining trust for each other.
Children of Men is a masterful display of the long shot. Large battle sequences and escape scenes are filmed in one long shot, which helps the audience feel as if they are in the thick of the action. Blood splatters, dirt and shaky camera's give some scenes the feeling of a documentary, as if the audience is watching true events unfold. Children of Men is a film that puts fear and hope against one another, in the most dire of circumstances, with the human race in control of the outcome, and with the most stakes involved. Even at its calmest moments, Children of Men is full of suspense and drama.