Unbelievable! This is an incredible movie but not for everyone

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2007)

Unbelievable! I just want to say that this was one of the most intense movie experiences I've ever had. A masterful movie on so many levels that I don't know where to start. Yes, the performances were all great and Clive Owen restores my faith in the casting of leading men. And yes, the movie has an important message about our current state of affairs as much as the affairs 20 years from now. And of course, the action scenes are among the most creative and heart stopping I've ever seen and will no doubt be copied to death in the years to come. These are all good reasons to see the movie but they are not what make this movie truly great in my mind. What makes this movie outstanding is its honesty and authenticity. Authentic in the big picture: in its depiction of a world in which humanity is faced with its eventual extinction. A gray and dismal life in London under totalitarian dictatorship based on the fear of illegals, and the rest of the world descending into anarchy and chaos, yet people still go to work and bet at the racetrack. Life goes on, albeit for only a short time. Also authentic in the small details: a bomb explodes exactly how it would in real life - no fiery explosion (why does Hollywood need to blow up 1000 gallon gas tanks to make us believe a bomb's impact). Pets are everywhere, I suppose because they are our only substitute for the loss of children. Illegals are rounded up and put in cages while passersby (Theo included) barely notice.
A lot of reviewers were disappointed that the movie didn't go far enough to explain the premise of mass infertility or to explore in more detail its ramifications. I think that's unfair. Why do we need to be hand-fed this information? Rather than get bogged down with the details, the movie just asks us to just go with it. As with the ramifications, I think the movie does enough here to get you going. Connect the rest of the dots yourself. I think the movie's main objective is to put you into Theo's life and follow his story to its conclusion.
For those that think the movie is a major downer. Well, yes it is. In fact my wife came out of the theater and said it was one of the worst movie experiences she's ever had. I know what she means. Its rawness and bleakness and overall vision of the future are tough to take. But what also got to her was its authenticity. It was such a realistic portrayal of a bleak future and how humans would interact in that world that she couldn't discount it like she could other movies that were as violent or bleak. But it's not all bleak. There are true moments of tenderness and compassion that transcend the violence and chaos. Some scenes are so poignant I can't get them out of my mind. Such as the gypsy women helping Kee and Theo escape. She takes the baby so they can get through a tight door and leaves the camera for a few seconds. I'm thinking she's stolen the baby and I'm sure everyone else in that audience is as well even though the director has given us no good reason to suspect her. She comes back of course and in that instance I'm left feeling sheepish for my assumptions (would I have thought this if an English speaking women was in her place or even if she just simply wasn't a "Gypsy") and immensely happy and relieved as if this women in that one instance restored my faith in humanity. And of course there is the baby. The film's ending is somewhat ambiguous but in my mind it is hopeful.