One of the Most Important Films in Recent Years

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2007)

CHILDREN OF MEN is a masterpiece of cinematic artistry. Director Alfonso Cuarón, using a screenplay he co-wrote with Timothy J. Sexton, has done what few artists have been able to achieve before - create an apocalyptic experience that is almost devoid of extraneous material meant to terrify the audience and focused the worst of unthinkable events into a personal story about a few people. Oh, the global destruction and masses of dead humanity are not kept from our eyes, but instead Cuarón uses these horrid images as a background for a story about the changes than can occur in each of us when our souls and lives are challenged by extinction.
The story is set in 2027 and the only country that has survived some unnamed disaster is England (importantly, the only country without a constitution, maintaining its governance on history). The landscape is bleak, twisted, filthy and holds scattered cages of fugitives (immigrants from the countries no longer in existence): it is difficult to decide which is better, being dead or living in this heinous mess of a wasted world. Society is on the brink of extinction as the people are infertile and the youngest living person has just died. We meet Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a drunken bored disillusioned detritus of a man whose early years were alive with political activism. He loathes his meaningless job and he is bitter and utterly disillusioned and emotionally numb. A group called 'Angels' is lead by Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore), Theo's former significant other with whom he had a child that died of influenza, and Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and their work is the protection of immigrants as well as transporting a young black girl Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) who happens to be pregnant(!) to a sea spot where Human Project will aid her in propagating a new society. Julian has Theo captured (he is the only man she can truly trust) to handle the safe transportation of Kee to the Human Project.
Theo at first refuses to absorb this new direction but incidents occur which change his mind: he receives sound advice and encouragement from an old hippie friend Jasper (Michael Caine) and the trek begins. The bond between Kee and Theo is an increasingly strong one and as they follow directions that are in code they gradually discover the incentives of various people to follow the eventual birth of the first child to be born in eighteen years. The trip is harrowing, suspenseful, filled with psychological and philosophical implications, and the ending of this tale occurs in the foggy mists of the sea aboard a tiny boat - a place that has no roots.
Clive Owen is mesmerizing in this tough role and his support from Moore, Caine, Ejiofor, Ashitey, as well as smaller roles played by such fine actors as Charlie Hunnam, Pam Ferris, Danny Huston, Peter Mullan, Oana Pellea and Jacek Koman to mention only a few is on the highest level. The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is miraculous, capturing a strange world that seems very real yet not absurdly over the edge. Classical composer John Tavener (with help from Mahler, Penderecki, and others) finds just the right balance between old folk songs, contemporary requiem moments and excerpts from popular music of the past to mold a fascinating musical score: it works! Some may avoid this film because of the apparent disturbing content, but for this viewer this film speaks so cogently to the matters we should all heed to help reverse some of the destruction we have done to our world that it would be hard to imagine this film not changing people's views on immigration as an example of how confused is our sense of humanity, and that is only one issue before us. CHILDREN OF MEN is an instant classic, whether we like it or not. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp