A Political Hideaway

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2006)

2006 has been a good year for politically minded films: we've seen George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck.; the not-as-anarchist-as-the-comic-but-still-pretty-good V For Vendetta; and the emotionally charged United 93. This month, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men joins these thought-provoking films, and quite rightly, too.
The year is 2027 and, one generation from now, the entire female population of the planet is infertile. The youngest person in the world has just died at 18, and most of the world has been ravaged by war, turning Britain into a Daily Mail reader's paradise; the government as made outlawed immigrants, and broadcasts its neo-fascist propaganda over digital billboards in streets and buses. In the middle of all this is Theo Faron (Clive Owen), an ex-activist, now an alcoholic working in an office. After narrowly escaping a terrorist attack in a café, Theo is kidnapped by a group of "Fishes" (freedom fighters), headed by his activist ex Julian (Julianne Moore), and thrust into the centre of a plot to get the first pregnant woman in 18 years to the mythical Human Project.
If Children of Men has one flaw, it is that it won't draw in the action crowd that made V for Vendetta a moderate success. If, however, you're looking for a politically and emotionally charged story, depicting a scarily realistic vision of what the future could be, Children of Men is highly recommended. Following in the footsteps of Fernando Meirelles and his fantastic The Constant Gardener, Alfonso Cuarón has blended a riveting story with a strong political message. Anyone who feels a knot of fear in their stomach whenever they see a Daily Mail headline will be moved by the images of immigrants locked in cages. And almost paradoxically, the climax expertly puts across the film's theme of humanity over any political agenda.
Technically, the film will not disappoint students of film. In an expository scene in an abandoned school, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), our pregnant protagonist, is almost too-perfectly framed in a shattered window. The technical highlights, though, are the film's two main action sequences. One in a car and the other in a building under attack, both are filmed in single takes, and have a documentary feel. We, the audience, are taken right into these scenes, which make their emotional climaxes (especially in the latter) even more real and moving.
If you're looking for a political hideaway from the past summer's lacklustre blockbusters, you definitely cannot go wrong with Children of Men. Cuarón has infused his work with a realism and emotional quality rare in films of this type, and fantastic performances from the main cast, as well as smaller characters such as Michael Caine's pot-smoking hippie Jasper make it a more than enjoyable experience. Hollywood needs more films like this.