Deeply Affecting

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2007)

In the year 2027, the world as we know it now has collapsed due to an unknown condition that has turned women all over the world infertile. The world is in a chaotic place save for Britain, which has resorted into totalitarian methods in order to keep the desperate immigrants outside its borders. Theo (Clive Owen) is a cynical bureaucrat and a former activist whose life changes when his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore) asks his help to escort a young immigrant girl called Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to a safer place. Soon Theo finds himself caught in a crossfire on a breathtaking journey through the ruins of England, with a sole purpose to protect Kee.
Children of Men paints a grim picture of a future, depicting a desperate world that has no tomorrow to look forward to. Though the scenario has a fantasy/sci-fiction feel to it, the fact that women has mysteriously stopped being able to have children, the consequences of this total loss of hope are portrayed in the most realistic way possible. This is why the movie works as a topical social commentary on some of the most heated topics of today. Beyond that, Children of Men also addresses timeless themes, telling a powerful story about humanity faced with hope and desperation.
I didn't expect much from this film when I first went to see it, having read a review that gave it an average rating, slating it as a "naïve and unrealistic" film. I ended up gaining one of the most emotional movie-related experiences in my life, and learning never to trust reviews again. I so extremely affected by the entire movie that I felt emotionally exhausted once the credits started rolling. As if the plot wasn't gripping enough, the long, perfectly choreographed, seamless shots filmed with a hand-held camera give the movie such a strikingly realistic touch that it's almost impossible not to get emotionally invested in the story, and feel as though you're dragged through the rubble and mud yourself as Theo and Kee's companion on their dangerous route from a conflict to another.
I didn't particularly appreciate Alfonso Cuarón before seeing this movie; now I'm a devout fan. I'm still thoroughly amazed that he wasn't up for an Oscar for this movie, and that this picture didn't receive more nominations at the Academy Awards. As far as I'm concerned, Children of Men was one of the best, if not The Best, picture of the year 2006.