Children of Men (2006)
Wow. I've seen the film Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, many times before, and it never ceases to instill a sense of amazement upon each viewing. Recently I found the Bluray for $8 and couldn't resist picking it up. So last night I popped it in and was once again blown away.
Theo (Clive Owen) is just another citizen of a world going mad around him. The birthrate has reached zero by the year 2027 and terrorism runs rampant. The England that is seen in the film isn't that far off from how it looks today, but it is darker and all around Theo people are losing hope. After all, there won't be another generation after theirs. Theo goes about his days and out of the blue is kidnapped by a group of terrorists, or fishes as the governemnt calls them. It turns out his ex-wife, Julian (Julianne Moore), has been working with the group. She appeals to Theo to help him use his connections to get them papers for safe travel to the coast. At first he relents, but then he decides that he wants to do it for Julian. After this decision, they begin their jouney to the coast, the group conisting of Theo, Julian, Julian's associate, and a young African girl, Kee. Events transpire and Theo learns that Kee is actually pregnant, and the aim is to get her to a boat on the coast that wants to help find a cure for the world's infertility. Death, double-crosses, all-out battles, and despair all are roadblock's to Theo's quest to get Kee to her destination.
I don't want to give away many of the plot points because to do so would be to spoil the suprises that happen along the way. Michael Caine plays a great minor character who is Theo's friend as well as an avid pot grower. The cast does an excellent job of fitting their roles well. Clive Owen does very well as Theo by really injecting the despair as well as hope into the character that is needed in the role.
The real star of the film though is the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki. But credit must also be given to the editors. Many shots in the film seem to go for very long lenghts of time, such as when the group is assaulted by a squad of bandits while driving in a car. It looks to all be done in one take, and the cuts are cleverly hidden. There is another scene near the end during a battle in a city involving tanks and an army and rebels. The result is breathtaking a technical marvel.
Hope is a theme that runs throughout the length of the film. There is nary a moment when Theo's faith isn't being tested and it looks as if things are at their darkest. But there is always some reminder of a reward for faith. Chance encounters and supportive strangers are constantly being thrust into the path of the characters. These serve to be constant reminders of how important faith and hope are to humanity.
Children of Men is a very powerful film that cannot be ignored for it's amazing cinematography and great direction by Alfonso Cuaron. Overall, I can't recommend this film enough. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a least a rent to be reminded of how important it is to have hope in the future.
