Children of Men Review

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2007)

The greatly anticipated release by Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men is just another trophy on his wall, cementing Cuaron's status as a greatly talented filmmaker with great aesthetic sense. Set in the near future, this science-fiction drama spells out a dark grey, post-apocalyptic world, set in Great Britain, giving us the impression that this is the only country holding itself in some sort of orderly governmental control.
Cuaron manages to ignite sparks of color in the action within this medieval world, as the film quickly spools into a chase epic. The parallel to the nativity story, focusing on the one child's birth that will change the fate of humanity all together, is drawn quite vividly as this ode to salvation pulls us into its world of infertility, illegal immigration and concentration camps. One of the most interesting aspects of the story is its lack of focus on the reason behind the world's sudden inability to reproduce and which gender is at fault. Instead Children of Men draws more from a creative well, and provokes challenging questions about reproduction, and elaborates on its importance through its narrative.
If this were to happen or not, would mankind be satisfied with what they have accomplished thus far, and be ready to be annihilated from the earth? Does God punish those who are selfish, and draw their power from the suffering of others? Although Children of Men leaves many unanswered questions, and leaves us with a bleak look into the future of mankind, it manages to be uplifting and emotionally stirring. Despite its dark and depressing look into a self-destructive universe, Children of Men provokes much delight with dashes of humor, lightness, and a bit of hope to even things out.
The brilliantly assembled cast, including the always magnificent Michael Cane, and Clive Owen ignite the fire of this cinematic glory, while helping to distract from the naïve and prejudice society the rest of the world has become. Caine and Owen have great chemistry when together, but Caine easily steals every scene with his spot-on acting and endearingly playful behavior.
Cuaron makes great use of the same steadi-cam he used in Y Tu Mama Tambien, but instead of bringing us closer to the characters problems, this time we are brought closer to the action. Cuaron uses a jerkier steadi-cam, unlike other directors such as Martin Scorsese, giving us a more uneasy feeling through much of the action sequences, like we are strapped into a virtual reality. Much of the shooting and explosions feel like an extremely sophisticated first person shooter, even spraying blood onto the camera lens at times. Children of Men never runs out of steam, and left me with one of the best cinematic experiences of the year.