Many Many Layers

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2006)

This is one of the most thought provoking films I have ever seen, as the movie is stacked in layer upon layer of Political, Religious, social and ethical messages.
Set in the not too distant future the world has a fertility crisis,the story centers on England where a Fascist regime has its population under government control.
The government achieve this (albeit with resistance) by a policy which is strict on asylum seekers and non British citizens is brutal slightly hinting of the way the Jews where treated. Citzens of this future are also encouraged not only to reproduce as society is infertile but also encouraged to euthanase themselves by obtaining an advertised suicide kit.
Clive Owen (Theo)is a regular 9 to 5 guy, once was a freedom fighter has since given up and joined the rest of the conforming society, mainly prompted by the Death of his own child. However his past resurfaces when he is abducted by the mother of his dead Son Julian (Julianne Moore).
Why ?
Juilian is protecting a young Woman called Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) who is special as she is first Woman to be pregnant in 18 years. As forces within Julian's movement want the child for their own Political ends, Julian has made plans to get both Kee and the unborn child to safety from here own organisation, and the government who will not allow the first child to be born in 18 years to come from an Asylum Seeker.Theo is the only person Julian can trust and with the task of getting Kee and the unborn child to an organisation called the Human project and he has the connections to help to do this.
On the Journey to safety, Kee escorted to her destination with Theo who is not the unborn's father gives birth to a Son.
So the tone of the movie could be that this child may be the second coming of Christ but doesn't explore that in too much detail but it is referenced several times,through remarks an characters names (Theo=God in Greek)what the child represents though is Hope to the desperate situation the world has come to.
Cimematically this movie is breathtaking, the camera work and the general atmosphere and breaking down of society is awesome. The sense when kee gives birth and the resulting shots of they baby are brilliantly scripted and shot.
The ending too bucks the traditional happy white picket fence ending too, leaving you to decide what happens next.
Its no doubt about it, this will be a classic movie, just like Bladerunner and the Shawshank redemption.