Why this movie is so great

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2015)

This movie is one of those very few and rare movies that made me get up after I watched it and just pace around saying 'Holy crap, how is that movie that good?!'. This movie made me forget that I was sitting in my desk chair watching a movie on my monitor, it made me think I was in London in 2027 when this movie takes place.
This movie is about how society deals with the sudden infertility of people and the inability to make babies. Clive Owen gives an outstanding performance as Theo, the man who tries to help society get back on its feet. The camera is always with him as he goes through a couple of turbulent days and he never fails to impress. I didn't see an actor on a sound stage in front of a crew; I saw a person struggling to deal with the cards he was dealt, or Theo. Julianne Moore was also great in this movie. She helped to elevate the parts of the movie that she was in. Her chemistry with Clive Owen made their relationship believable and not forced in any way. Michael Caine did exceptionally as a hippie, which I wasn't really sure if he could pull it off. Chiwetel Ejiofor also managed to pull off his role as a very complex character in his limited screen time. Even Clare-Hope Ashitey really embodied her character; as someone who was in a place she didn't belong with something that didn't belong The whole cast meshed well and made this feel like an actual place instead of some far-reaching idea.
The plot of this movie is unique except it still seems very realistic. Throughout this movie I found myself asking if this could possibly happen in the future. The answer is yes. This movie seems like it could happen down the road in 20 years and all the things that happen with infertility make sense. All the decisions by the characters are logical and don't seem forced or stupid. Yet it still makes you wonder what is going to happen next as that unpredictability drives the movie forward. This isn't a movie where halfway through you can tell how it is going to end. You don't know who is going to die and who is going to live. Its structure is complex enough you fully enthralled with it but it doesn't lose you.
The script of this movie is phenomenal. The dialogue seems lifelike and not wooden. Some of the things that are said are things I would say and the things that I wouldn't say are things that I want to say in the future. It really makes the characters more believable as actual human beings. The writers knew when to insert certain parts of light-heartedness to really tie the plot together or help with a big event. Nothing in this movie was left untouched, as everything tied together.
This movie is one of the best looking films I have ever seen. There are at least three shots that are continuous takes of 3 minutes or more. The camera is an actor in this movie, and it would win an Academy Award for it. At4 points in this movie I had to stop and think to myself about how great this movie looked. The way the camera effortlessly follows the actors makes you a part of this world. It has one of the best car chase scenes I have ever seen and some of the most wonderful scenes of all time.
The direction was astounding. Everything was precisely planned and everything made sense. It was like watching Picasso paint a picture. The way Cuaron was able to weave this movie together is inspiring. He made this movie real.
You may think that I am over hyping this movie. I am not. I really cannot put into words how beautiful and wonderful every aspect of this movie is. I had absolutely zero complaints. This is one of the few that exceeds already high expectations and really helps you understand the concept of how great a film can be.
100/100 A+