Not to be missed

Rating: Null/10 (14 January 2007)

I have to say, that was one of the most terrifying, moving, and visceral movies I've seen recently. Of course, it's not even horror, but that's exactly what made it so scary--everything to me was very plausible, and all the details of how normal everyday existence has been affected also felt convincing.
Don't know what I mean? The premise of the movie is simple, but the execution is quite the harrowing thing to witness: for reasons unexplained, infertility of women started to climb, until in the near future, 2027, birth rate is halted. It's even more frightening that it's a mystery--as mentioned, it could be anything we are currently facing today--pollution? Global warming? Genetic experiments? How about all our funky new gadgets, cellphones, plasma TVs, genetically modified foods...all the recent innovations that are deemed safe now, but we ultimately don't know the long-term effect of.
Of course, I don't mean to suggest that these really are all screwing us over, and it'll be far too late in 20 years to fix anything. But it *could* be true--it really is not much of a stretch.
The vision of the future put forth by the movie is bleak and hopeless, opening with international mourning over the passing of the youngest person on Earth. The very idea is a little creepy. Much of society has gone to hell, and the only "safe" bastion we are aware of is Britain, though it's obvious it's a mess there as well with a (for all intents and purposes) Fascist government in reactionary mode. You can imagine what sort of social / political scene that spawns.
I mentioned detailing. From news clippings to semi-heard news broadcasts, and looping propagandist videos, there are a swath of brilliant little things observed offered as enrichment to what has happened in this future 2027. It's amazing putting these small things together, and gives the world such scope and believability, and that much of it is just gravy to the main plot is quite rewarding. You don't need all the depth we glimpse, but it's there to appreciate if you're of the mind to. An example: I absolutely loved this piece of graffiti seen briefly on a wall. Something like, "Last person to die, please turn off the lights." Genius. Just as irreverent and hopeless as you would expect from graffiti in such a world setting.
It's been an hour or two now since I saw the movie, and after some discussion, I can't see any holes; everything is airtight, has a reason, has a motivation. Things made sense as the characters progressed from each tribulation to the next. The acting was natural, an obvious fact as you realized you believed and really cared for some of these people. Clive Owen deserves a special note here; his performance was full of nuance and you really sympathized with this average guy put into extraordinary circumstances. His character's bravery and determination really shines through. Michael Caine, the hippie, was also a delight.
But perhaps deserving of the most kudos is the acclaimed Mexican director, Alfonso Cuarón. He had a hand in writing the script and editing, too. In short, everything is handled masterfully at all levels, especially with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki--their collaboration yielded thrillingly intense action sequences of which I've never seen the like. So much is happening on the screen, and there is such desperation that you'll find yourself rivetted. The shots are often cleverly staged, but the camera never feels obtrusive or presumptuous--it clearly follows Owen's character Theo, and everything he experiences, we do as well. This limitation of knowledge really works to the movie's advantage, because this avoids what many other films would degrade to: pseudo-science explanations for the infertility (where there is appropriately none to give), or perhaps the history of the Human Project. The last would have been particularly detrimental, because presented as a dim hope, it should remain so, rather than the ultimate solution for everything--nothing is assured in this chaotic dystopia.
The score was uncomfortable and responsive, and I'm friggin' glad to have seen a sort of apocalyptic film that doesn't blame it on some wayward asteroid or nuclear accident. The reasons are biological, and that's as personal and true as one can get, but it never felt preachy or moralizing. It's a story first and foremost, a warning second, and told so convincingly, it is a powerful one at that.
Children of Men needs to be experienced, and hopefully, it'll get some recognition as awards season again rolls around.