"this is a startlingly well executed apocalyptic view of the future"Set in 2027 where women are infertile and the youngest person on the planet has just died aged 18 years, this is a startlingly well executed apocalyptic view of the future where mankind is coming to terms with the likelihood of its own extinction. With all countries of the world having fallen to violence apart from Britain which is still soldiering on, the government has instigated a policy of removing civil liberties and rounding up all illegal immigrants and keeping the borders closed to stop refugees from other places flooding in. In the middle of all this is a group of freedom fighters led by Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) who with the help of Theodore Faron (Clive Owen), an ex-activist turned government worker with whom she previously had a child, try to get a miraculously pregnant woman to the coast so she can join a boat belonging to The Human Project, the so called last hope for everyone.
From the first frames of film Children Of Men is a striking, beautiful movie. Its vision of the future is incredibly well realised, with so many layers of background detail it's often difficult to keep paying attention to the actors in the foreground. The London shown here is a dirty, crowded, chaotic place, but the film makers don't let themselves get carried away with futuristic vehicles or waste time redesigning every glass and light switch to make it look like it's from another time, they make small changes to recognisable icons like putting video adverts on the side of the well used red London buses or turning Battersea Power Station into the dwelling of Theo's government employed cousin while a Pink Floyd inspired pink pig floats outside. Cuarón shoots a lot of scenes from the inside of vehicles, and whether they be buses, trains or cars your attention is always being drawn to what's on the other side of the glass, a small window into a larger universe that makes the film come alive. Everything is told and seen from the perspective of Owen's character, giving us a far more intimate and personal experience than would have been the case had the camera been allowed to float too far away.
"there are tracking shots in this movie which are absolutely astounding"And that camera not only stays close, but it also rarely cuts, there are tracking shots in this movie which are absolutely astounding, as the camera just keeps on following our actors as the action happens around them. There is one battle scene where the camera lens actually gets splattered with blood but it still keeps on going, following Owen as explosions and gunfire and bits of building fall off around him. I lost count of the times where I was simply left agog at what I was seeing on the screen, it's so often startling in its scale, scope and cinematography. It never shies away from the difficult moment, and is often a harrowing experience to watch, so you'll be glad of the lighter comedic moments that break up what could otherwise be a tough film to sit through.
I've always liked Clive Owen, he has the special ability of making a swear word sound better than any other actor I know today. He also has an incredible talent for being totally believable in whatever role he's given and that's no different here, the most emotionally charged I've seen him. The lack of cutting means that he has to be on his toes at all times and get things right on the first take, even when there is visually trickery involved to make one cut flow invisibly into another.
"confused and terrified one minute but make you laugh the next with her unbreakable spirit"The surrounding cast is all equally fantastic, the pregnant woman Kee is played wonderfully by Claire-Hope Ashitey, who can act absolutely confused and terrified one minute but make you laugh the next with her unbreakable spirit. Pam Ferris also puts in a good turn as Miriam, the midwife who has been looking after her. But a special mention must be made for Michael Caine, who you'll find yourself instantly liking as Jasper, an old drug producing friend of Theo's who brings much light relief to proceedings.
Children Of Men deals with a lot of heavy issues, many of which parallel events in the present day, from the loss of civil liberties to the persecution of certain religious beliefs it's a strong criticism of government control and a stark warning for what happens when you let things go too far. Cuarón has such a deft touch for bringing scenes to life and never letting the pace of the film drop you'll be enthralled by every remarkable image he puts in front of you from the opening title card onwards. There are moments of sadness, splendour, hope, laughter and horror; and when the closing title card appears on screen, following an ending from a very confident director, you may well want to see it all again.
