In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help...
WHAT I LIKED: Alfonso Cuarón's 'Children of Men,' works on so many levels; as a constantly nail-biting thriller, a horrifyingly realistic portrayal of fascism and rebellion, an exploration of why people decide to plod on even in the toughest of circumstances, and, ultimately, a moving character study about the perseverance of the human spirit.
We begin in 2027, and immediately learn from a news reel that humans have failed to reproduce for 18 years and everywhere has descended into civil war. Then we watch the central character - Civil Servant Theo (Clive Owen) - going about his life in London where everyone seems to be lonely and defeated, the streets are filthy, and there isn't the remotest hint of joy or promise to be found in any inch of the frame.
All of that has a similar effect to a man vs nature story in that it clears characters of their usual reasons to live and automatically presents the question of why they might bother putting one foot in front of the other at all. Here though, the concern that's stripped away is the prospect of a future generation to safeguard the world for, and that's not only a fascinating and unusual premise, but it makes that quandary hang especially heavy over Theo himself as he has very little left in his life, and the only solace we see him find is in occasional meetings with an old friend (Michael Caine).
To further the absence of life's meaning, in the midst of the crisis, the UK has turned in on itself and become a compassion-less, fascist Police state where messages about the dangers of foreigners surround people at every turn and immigrants are openly hounded into cages at train stations for transport to Refugee Camps. These politics hit very close to home, not only because fascism is being used so much to scapegoat injustices in the real world right now, but because the script and direction do such a brilliant job of making the nuances feel real. That extends from the incredibly tangible production design and the way Theo and most of the people around him just keep their head down, to the way the terrorist resistance fighters (the "Fishes") are written.
We meet them (led by Chiwetel Ejiofor's Luke and Julianne Moore's Julian) through Theo's eyes, as he's reluctantly roped in to help grant an immigrant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) safe passage out of the Country because she's miraculously fallen pregnant. The group are united by their violent opposition to the government, but there's much in-fighting too, particularly because some members (knowing the powers that be would not allow the first born to be of an immigrant) want to use the baby as a propaganda tool regardless of the potential cost to the mother or the future of humankind. Again, the conflicts within the group are very realistic, and the way the characters are drawn makes it even more real as they all feel like complex individuals with real motivations.
Theo decides to break the woman free on his own and get her passage to safety, and what results is firstly an unbearably tense journey through chaos and danger - from a meeting with a corrupt cop looking for a quick buck, to a trip through the horrors of a refugee camp. But more than that, it also allows for this incredible moving character arc about Theo finding a reason to plod on in the moments of humanity he finds along the way, and ultimately becoming so determined to safeguard humankind that he sacrifices his own life in the end.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the dialogue is a bit phony, but other than that, it's a truly perfect film.
VERDICT: Alfonso Cuaron's 'Children of Men,' is a story of fascism and rebellion and a journey through hell where the central character ultimately finds a reason to go on. Together, that makes for a truly gripping and profound experience, and one of the most impactful films of the 21st Century.
