For my money, the film of the decade

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2009)

This has been a rough decade for film, no doubt. Sequels and remakes ran amok, and works of true originality, artistry, and narrative force are a rarity to be cherished. No film this decade has moved me quite like Children of Men. It's an incredible work of art, a cautionary tale, even a thriller. It incorporates all these elements and pulls them off brilliantly.
Alfonso Cuaron is an exhilarating director. This film is his magnum opus. He commands scenes with incredible power, brilliantly using long tracking shots to create tension as opposed to being self indulgent. He and his writers pulled together a story that wastes nothing, never showing a lack of pulse.
And then, there are those moments of incredible emotional power, scenes that are the payoff of the intricate construction of the film's world and plot. Cuaron pulls them off without manipulation, allowing the simple visceral impact of the scenes provide the punch.
Perhaps this has been a rough decade for films. But watching Children of Men, you wouldn't know it.