Capsule Review: "Children of Men"

Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men” begins with a bang, grabbing its audience by the collar and dragging it through a disturbingly resonant dystopia. Like the best of science fiction, “Children of Men” draws upon that which is familiar and relevant. Much of the film’s imagery seems to have been lifted from our real-world headlines. The year is 2027, and women are no longer able to give birth. The world has fallen into disarray – stricken by nuclear war, terrorism, and warring factions. Theo (Clive Owen), a former activist, is approached by his revolutionary ex-lover (Julianne Moore) with a favor: he is to help the first pregnant woman in nearly twenty years navigate the dangers of England to reach a rumored safe haven known as the Human Project.

Director Alfonso Cuarón, with the help of Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki, creates a completely immersive and frighteningly real vision of the future. Several long takes (some bordering 10 minutes) occupy the film’s running time. The camera acrobatics are at once dazzling, a 360-degree turn inside a car or weaving through a combat zone, but they also clearly define the space of England in 2027 and thereby enforce the urgency of the parable. Cuarón’s insistence on letting the shots linger allows the viewer to enter a fully-realized universe of broken glass, rubble, and violence. Very few close-ups are used in “Children of Men”. As a result, the audience can’t help but view the characters in the context of their environment.

Cuarón and Lubezki are aided by a fine collection of talent. Clive Owen channels Humphrey Bogart as the reluctant hero – a man so disillusioned by the state of the world that, initially, he has only enough time and energy to look out for himself. Superlative set design strikes a balance between the contemporary and the fantastical cityscapes of other seminal science fiction films such as “Metropolis” and “Blade Runner”. The rich sound design is ever present. It features sirens, gun shots, human and animal screams and serves as a constant reminder as to the state of this world.

Amidst the impending doom of “Children of Men”, Alfonso Cuarón has injected a strong current of unadulterated hope. Though the film parallels the Christian nativity, Cuarón achieves a great deal of spirituality without beating the religious nail over the head. His is a message of faith, not necessarily in a higher power, but in a better tomorrow.

**** / ****