In a world with no future, who can save the world?

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2007)

From the mind of P.D. James  a well-known writer of dramas and thrillers  comes a scifi thriller set in the 2027. I haven't read the book (written in 1992) and I understand that the producers of this film have taken some liberties with the narrative; nevertheless, it's a credible picture of a future scenario that is possible, given the current worldwide reduction in male fertility and the now global negative rate of natural increase in births.
The story, however, takes those facts to a logical conclusion: fertility, in 2027, is all but dead as the story opens, with an announcement that the youngest person in the world had just died at the age of eighteen. From that point, the story follows Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a public servant, who  against his will initially  must assist a young pregnant woman across England to meet up with The Human Project, a ship-borne scientific group that is desperately seeking an answer to the fertility problem. The pregnant girl, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) is thus more valuable than life itself as she is seen as the savior of humanity  maybe.
The story is episodic, as Theo fights his way, with Kee, to the coast where he finally manages to get her onto the Tomorrow, the ship operated by the mobile Human Project; but, only after many have died, and he and Kee have endured almost insuperable hardship. To relate too much more would detract from the excitement, suspense and surprises the viewer experiences along the journey.
As Theo, Owens gives his best performance I've seen yet (and proves again that he's got better five o'clock shadow than Bruce Willis any day); Julianne Moore as his ex-girl friend, Julian Taylor, is powerful and dominant; Michael Caine as his old buddy, Jasper Palmer, hams it up a bit, but never goes over the top; the rest of the cast is solid. Frankly, however, with such a fast-paced story, it's difficult to keep up with the constant change in characters as Theo continues his quest.
Two particular scenes are memorable: the desperate escape by Theo, Kee and others in a car that won't start as it rumbles down a hill with killers in hot pursuit; and the final battle scene in which Theo and Kee find themselves enmeshed. As I watched, spellbound, at the latter, I couldn't help thinking that it looked every bit as real as current news footage from Baghdad, Gaza City, Mogadishu or some other equally dangerous place of despair. Truly, this is how some  but not all  humans react to perilous times when survival is at stake every minute of the day. Not a pretty sight; and one that was captured so well, the film deservedly won many awards for best cinematography.
Arguably, from a narrative perspective, there is a very obvious religious metaphor in the form of Kee with the new child  this century's Madonna and Savior, with Theo as a surrogate Joseph, protector of the 'family'. I'll leave you to decide that for yourself...
Recommended for adults and young adults too: the latter should know, now, what the future could be like if things start to go wrong genetically  as, indeed, they appear to be, already.