Review: Children of Men
“Children of Men”, an adaptation of the novel by P.D. James, is Alfonso Cuaron’s best movie to date. If you’re looking solely to be entertained, this movie is not for you. This movie makes you think. Hard. It is a powerful depiction of the true colors of human depravation when humanity is faced with the realization that there is no hope of a future.The technical aspects of this movie do not disappoint. As noted in many reviews, the camera work is very different and contributes a great deal to the story. For many scenes, the camera was handheld, giving you the sense that you are walking/running along with the main characters. That effect could have potentially caused a theater full of motion-sick individuals, but it was handled carefully and does not detract from the scenes. Also in many of the scenes is the presence of spattered blood on the lens as you are trying to look through it but it is accomplished in such a way so as not to be a distraction. The one description of that world that keeps coming back to my mind is the word “grey”. Though the movie was filmed in color, you’re left with the distinct impression that it was devoid of it, which goes to underscore the bleakness and gives the movie a gritty feel to it.
The story starts in 2027 with the announcement that the world’s youngest human (18 years, 4 months and 12 days old) had just died from injuries sustained when he refused to give an autograph to a fan. As details emerge, you find out that, for an unknown reason, women have become infertile - no known cause and no cure in the foreseeable future. The world has collapsed into chaos with Britain as the only country left standing. Citizens of other countries abandoned their homes and their now uninhabitable countries to illegally immigrate to Britain. The increasing chaos causes Britain to become a police state, imprisoning the illegal aliens and abusing/torturing some of them before deportation - that is, the ones that survive the abuse.
In the midst of this very hopeless world, a woman named Kee is keeping a secret - she is eight months pregnant. She is also a refugee, destined for deportation. An activist group, fighting for proper treatment of the illegal aliens, wants to use her - and her soon-to-be-born child - for their own purposes. Theo, a disillusioned man and an ex-activist, agrees to help Kee to safety.
I have not seen Lady in the Water yet. Frankly, I haven't seen Pirates, Click or Over the Hedge yet, either. We did see Superman, though. But I digress… 