Gritty, electric and eerily real

Rating: 9/10 (20 September 2006)

A powerful and energetic film that takes the gritty textures of 28 Days Later and the dystopian noir of Bladerunner creating a memorable and fierce movie that, is at times, spectacularly realistic.
Clive Owen is slowly but surely becoming a very decent actor and in this, save for a few patchy pieces of bad dialogue where he simply swears through scenes, does a good job as the movie's protagonist. Julianne Moore is an odd choice; playing an American leader of a British terrorist movement and yet again, I feel she delivered an empty performance. I really don't know how she manages to get into so many good films.
Through a severe depiction of 2027 London, Children of Men is an advertisement for what Britain could become in the future. What is most clever from this film is the gritty, long shots of action, reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan, where action unfolds before our eyes without cutting and flush with rawness, so stunningly real it'll leave you feeling you've been hiding behind Clive Owen till the very last spray of gunfire. The film is layered with intelligent, meaningful points and messages; perfectly timed for the current climate on immigration, nationalism and racism.
Though the pace dips in places where exposition takes over, it's delivered by charming hippy Michael Caine, but be warned his repetitive salvation "Amigo" may irritate. Electric and vividly clairvoyant, you won't see a better film this year. Britain has had some dire films in it's attempt to battle Hollywood but as Children Of Men's London proclaims "Britain soldiers on"... well after seeing this film, you'll be checking yourself for flesh wounds.