Devastating in Every Way

Rating: 8/10 (9 April 2017)

In it's first hour, Children of Men comes across as a formulaic post-apocalyptic drama. A lot of it's early strength comes from the central cast including a stand-out performance by the great Michael Caine and Julianne Moore. Sequences of the film, including the famous drive-by death scene, horrify and amaze us.. and unfortunately dwindle off back into the forgettable plot. Then, something amazing happens. The final 30 minutes of this film is a cinematic explosion. It's some of the best filmmaking of the past 20 years. Emmanuel Lubezki, quite arguably the finest living cinematographer today, provides a visual experience that conveys a certain kind horror and hopelessness that many films have never achieved. Children of Men is a stunning feat.