Sci-fi masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (10 August 2011)

Great sci-fi only comes around once in a while in this day and age. A truly brilliant piece of science fiction will rarely appear amidst the sea of mediocrity that is today's sci-fi flicks. And it also comes in the most unexpected form, a form like Children of Men, a bleak story set in the near future where the human race has become infertile. The film follows Theo, a cubicle worker and former activist. Theo's wife, Julian, is the leader of an activist group who get Theo to join their cause. Theo is reluctant at first but joins when he realizes they are protecting a woman who is miraculously pregnant. It is then Theo's duty to transport this woman to a sanctuary at sea, because she may be mankind's only hope in this dystopian hellscape the world has plunged into.
Children of Men has a fantastic plot which exceeds all expectations. The film begins by throwing us headfirst into this chaotic and grotesque future. It opens with a group of peopled crowded into a pharmacy watching a news report on the world's youngest person being murdered. Theo enters, makes his way through the crowd to the front counter. And then, as soon as he leaves the store a bomb explodes next door, leaving us with a ringing in our ears as we watch a woman who's arm has just been blown off stumble out of the store. This image is brilliantly haunting and so perfectly sets the stage for the rest of the film, a bleak dystopia full of hopelessness and despair, violence surrounding us and lurking around every corner. This mood is never lost in the film, and every plot twist drives us further down the dark pit of despair that the world of Children of Men encompasses.
The story and structure of this film is great, but what really makes it the masterpiece that it is, is the atmosphere. This film has a fantastic look to it that perfectly matches the tone of the characters and events. Every scene is overcast and we are boxed in by grey buildings and grey skies. Even in scenes with trees, the green has a bleak tint of grey to it, accentuating the lack of hope which humanity now has. And even more amazing is the way this film's ingenious director, Alfonso Cuaron, captures this atmosphere. He directs this film with the most sincere attention to detail. Every single setting and every last scene matches the atmosphere of the film perfectly with so much detail that you will surely get something new out of this film every time you watch it.
And Cuaron plunges us right into the middle of the action with his direction. The film is shot on a very personal level so we feel like we are right next to Theo as he runs through the haggard streets of London. I realized how much Cuaron wanted us to be in this action when, at a certain moment, somebody gets shot close to the camera and blood sprays, actually leaving specks of blood on the camera lens. The shot lasts another couple of minutes with these specks of blood dragging us into the intensity in an uncanny and ingenious way. There are shots in this film that last literally five or six minutes as the camera follows Theo around the streets, dodging bullets and tanks, people running amok and buildings crumbling in every direction. This film will put a wide eyed look of awe on your face, a look which you can't wipe away until it is all over. It is a true spark of genius.
This is a film I could watch over and over again, gaining more from it every time I watch it. It is brilliant on so many levels, and is the true utilization of sci-fi as an art form. The film is smart and atmospheric, drawing the audience into the film in a way few films can, especially one of this genre. This is a must see film that will absolutely blow your mind as you watch such eloquent destruction unfold so well on screen. I can't say enough good things about this film. You have to see it for yourself.