An amazing technical achievement - highly recommended!

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2006)

Children of Men was a film that I went into seeing which I had no expectations for whatsoever. It is one of those odd films which, despite the big name cast and the huge budget had limited exposure through its lack of advertising. It was only after I saw some bus posters that I sought out more information, having been familiar with Cuarón's other films. Alfonso Cuarón, whose previous two films were essentially coming of age dramas has shown that he is a also highly adept in a futuristic setting. Whilst his take on the Harry Potter franchise may have left some feeling cold in terms of what he did with 'the best book in the franchise', there is no denying that he is a highly competent director and in Children of Men his complex direction shines more than any other quality. There are scenes which literally caught me by surprise, which looked so realistic or so complex that I did not actually know how they were completed. There is a scene in a car as the protagonists encounter a vigilante group in some woods. The camera is constantly floating and is done in a first person perspective, which not only gives you a real sense of claustrophobia but also a great sense of unease - as you can only see what is happening in one direction, instead of the multiple angles of montage that are usually reserved for action films. The constant shots which also look like a one-take shot also highly intrigued me and I still am eager to find out whether they were manipulated by CGI or were actually shot that way. Either way, it makes for a unique viewing experience which acts to increase the tension. Hand-held cameras also appear to be used quite often and it makes for a gritty, almost documentary style of narrative. The next best alternative I can think of to this style is Paul Greengrass' technique in the Bourne Supremacy or United 93. Indeed it is this camera technique which together with the small touches in the mise-en-scene which creates a realistic world. For me, it is all about the small touches in film, since I believe they are what makes a good film great. Children of Men is no exception, the opening sequence alone is full of them. After Owen's character orders a coffee and makes his way on to the London street in 2026 - the viewer is suddenly overwhelmed by these small touches, the different cars, the buildings which look familiar, yet look alien at the same time, the screens in the background advertising something or relaying some news - I was certainly overwhelmed with the level of detail and would gladly choose to watch it again just to try and take in some more of the detail. One of the criticisms levelled against the film is that the idea is great, but the story is poorly executed. Others still have criticised its moving away from the original novel by P.D. James and accused it of being a vitriolic attack on the UKs policies of immigration. Both of these claims I would say have merit and to be honest, they are the only things which prevent me from giving this film a perfect score. Yet with such expert direction and technical wizardry as well as fantastic performances by all involved; Children of Men gets a high recommendation from me. It will most likely be snubbed by any major award ceremonies, but it would be nice to see the technical team get some kind of recognition for creating such a terrifying prospect of the future.