Without doubt, Cuaron's masterpiece.

Rating: 9/10 (1 October 2006)

Children Of Men represents a wonderful triumph in Cuaron's career, a milestone movie that secures his already well established place as one of the most talented directors currently in work. Based on PD James' novel, Children Of Men depicts a none too distant future (2021 is the given year) falling apart at the seams after a mystery infertility pandemic has eliminated any hope of mankind's future. It is a concept that is both simple and surprisingly effective, a vision that would startle the majority of people, the idea that such a simple unknown event would bring our arrogant, self important species endless development to a grinding halt within 80 or so years. It is this inevitable sense of hopelessness that leads to a horrifying interpretation of a species on the brink of extinction.
The time of release could not be any more potent, Cuaron takes every opportunity to draw parallels with the current political and social climate, the grounding in a none too distant future ensures a frightening sense of familiarity making the events depicted all the more shocking and effective. Pretty much everything we see before our eyes is taken from somewhere from recent history or current events (segregation, refugees, concentration camps, terrorism), put all this into our familiar, peaceful England and it drives home a potent point. The global situation is pretty dire around the world and yet in a way we live in a bubble, insulated from the majority of horrors. Here is a story taking place in an England with that bubble burst, and it is certainly, worryingly very plausible.
Opening with what is perhaps the greatest depiction of a downtown suicide bomb yet put onto film Children Of Men pulls no punches from the very first frame. It is the first of many flawless scenes of violence, comparable to those of Saving Private Ryan in their sheer intensity and the incredible impact of the sound design. The majority of the picture is filmed in an up close and personal manner, spinning around Clive Owen's Theo, giving the viewer an unprecedented feeling of being there, in the moment. This extends from the huge action set pieces right down to the smaller set pieces (such as the incredible, inventive car get away scene. filmed in on a farm in a beautiful early morning glow) Events happen just off camera as the bold tracking shots offer glances of a fully realised environment, a level of detail that achieves the difficult task of convincing the viewer that as soon as the camera is turned away the world depicted continues.
Emotionally the film at first appears a little dry, as Theo bounces from one event to the next, but a subtle, gripping change occurs somewhere in the first third of the film drawing you in to it's vice like grip through a mixture of great writing and technical wizardry (particularly the striking shock value), as Theo crouches down in the woods, sobbing uncontrollably you realise that Cuaron has crossed the line, delivering a film that is absolutely blinding in it's impact and portrayal of a world crunching down around them. Oddly enough there is a reoccurring predictability to some of the events, yet the shock remains undiluted. This is an incredible achievement that is extremely hard to explain but can be accredited to the sheer skill put to use in portraying the events. Knowing something is coming does nothing to lessen the impact. At the same time many scenes satisfyingly avoid convention providing a truly varied experience that is both surprising and familiar. Clive Owen is wonderful in the lead role, dealing with the splattering of black comedy (another aspect that creates an entirely unique atmosphere) with ease. Michael Caine is equally brilliant as a weed smoking, Zen loving hippy, his sub plot as heartbreaking as anything in the film.
The violence is absolutely shocking, it seems to be unexpected in a film of this nature, a fact that certainly plays in the Cuaron's favour. It is raw, disturbing, even choking at times delivered in moderation (certainly not excess) so as to maximise impact. Characters slip out of the narrative with little more than a backward glance, adding to the realistic feel, tying up loose plot ends is certainly not on Cuaron's agenda here. CGI is employed with utmost brilliance; you will most likely not even notice it is there, pointing to a future where CGI can have its uses. We may be put off by overuse of average CGI in current films, but when you are unaware of its use the problem diminishes. Saying a film had good CGI is all very well, but having it pass by unnoticed is a far greater credit.
Perhaps the only fault is a lack of truly stretching the potential of the material in terms of political or social comment. Ultimately the messages conveyed through the material are simple and well worn, yes it fits in all the references but never really serves up anything new to say about them. However as a dystopian vision of the very near future Cuaron's film is a stunning, wholly immersive piece of work with an ending that is bleak, achingly sad and ambiguous. Children Of Men is sure to stand the test of time and become a modern classic.