Great original piece but well short of a masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2007)

Children of Men takes a new spin on the sci-fi disaster scenario and does it in style. The cheesy special effects are left in the closet, and the focus is on the story. While the movie is ultimately uplifting, (though it seems not for everyone as some of my movie goers can attest to), there are some deeply depressing/troubling passages, which should be left to a mature and prepared audience.
The result is all in all very convincing, thanks in no small part to competent acting by Owen and a well-written script. Owen's empty whiskey-soaked stare is worth a thousand words and Cuaron seems to have understood this only too well.
I highly recommend this movie, though I was bored by the prominent religious imagery and concept, and a bit annoyed that plenty of ends were left untied. This is still well worth being seen at the theater or rented on DVD. I would not waste my money on a DVD purchase though, as its re-playability is frankly limited.
Clive Owen (Theodore Faron) - 9/10 - Convincing stuff, good job, hope he doesn't drink as much in real life.
Julianne Moore (Julian Taylor) - 7/10 - Good, but she's frankly a short forgettable bystander in this movie.
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Luke) - 8/10 - Once again, Ejiofor delivers, though it would be nice to see him play some other role beside the super-action figure all the time.
Alfonso Cuarón - 8/10 - Turned a great movie from a great idea, but the religious overtones won't/can't be appreciated by all.