A Great Dystopian Vision of the Future

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2008)

By 2009, the world has become infertile. Is it pollution? Nuclear fallout? The hand of God? No one knows, but as of 2027 no child has been born and the world is falling into disarray. This movie follows one man (Theo) on his journey with Kee, a woman who may be the hope for the world's future. Will humans be born again or is this the slow end? This film is so full of social commentary, but it's done in an artistic and powerful way. Maybe not a subtle way, as they prominently feature Homeland Security, immigration crackdowns and even a man with a hood over his head forced to stand with electrodes on his hands (a now iconic image of Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq). How does the government handle crises and crack down on dissidence? Maybe not to this extreme in real life, but then again some would say this is where we're headed.
Clive Owen is amazing as the everyman (albeit more a hero than most would be). Michael Caine is also good, though I think he tried too hard to be John Lennon. The character of Kee is most fascinating, and people have pointed out how her name sounds like "key" (the key to the future of humanity) and "chi" (an Asian word meaning, basically, "life force"). I have to assume this was intentional, just as Theo's name must be (meaning "god"). What's surprising to me is how well they kept the religious aspects minimized. While they are important to the plot, they're always in the background. Compare this to "The Mist" where religious fanaticism takes center stage and become obnoxious (and it's not long before an obnoxious character makes a film itself obnoxious).
Dystopian films tend to be well-made, and this is no exception. The director took great pains to get long shots filmed (some going over six minutes straight) and the use of the hand-held really added to the feeling of being embedded in a world of war and violence. Do not pass up on this one. If you only have time to see it once, make sure you see it once. But you may end up wanting to own it for repeated viewings.