In Review: Children of Men

Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2007 in Arts & Culture | 0 comments

In Children of Men, director Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban) takes the P.D. James novel of the same name and paints a grim picture of London in the year 2027. Women are infertile and the youngest human on earth is an 18-year-old—there’s not much hope left for a world that will die in 50 years. Most of the population resorts to destruction and anarchy or, as the reluctant protagonist Theo (Clive Owen), a quiet apathy. But then a miracle is found: Klee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) becomes the first woman in nearly twenty years to get pregnant.

The density of this film is perhaps what is most astounding. Cuarón fills the screen with a cast of complex characters: Theo’s ex-wife and activist Julian (Julianne Moore) and retired political cartoonist Jasper (Michael Caine) to name a couple. The dialogue is also laced with subtle comments on immigration, terrorism, and environmental issues which are delivered in jokes, curses and complaints.

But this is not just a political drama. The plot moves along with such intensity and fluid pace that there’s barely time to absorb it all. It runs like a good thriller should. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s understated work brings the audience right into the scene, stuck in a car attacked by a mob or at the end of a long hallway being shot at. All the pieces fit in Children of Men: a great cast, a strong plot and a visually stunning experience. This is perhaps the most satisfying film I’ve seen all year.