Children of Men

by Ari

Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men is a tense, adult science-fiction thriller set in a near and horrifying future where humans are on the verge of extinction and the world is in ruin. This is apocalyptic sci-fi with a much more urgent, serious, and realistic tone. Cuarón uses the opportunity to create a bleak and immediate future that feels entirely plausible and frightening, even with its far-fetched premise. The film is an adaptation PD James’ novel, but I can’t tell you whether it’s faithful or loosely based on its source material. The screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón and his four writers, however, is particularly smart and lean, an intriguing and emotional journey about the nature of hope through the most desolate and chaotic of times. The conceptual material as imagined and directed by Cuarón feels relevant and powerful, a simple thematic arc made with passion and depth by a filmmaker of undeniable talent.

Cuarón showcases superb craftsmanship with Children of Men, displaying a visual bravura that separates himself from most of his peers. With his highly gifted cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, Cuarón stages enormous set-pieces with a camera that does the impossible. With an almost I Am Cuba-like grace, the camera tracks and follows star Clive Owen through a chaotic and violent warzone, down the streets and through a building until he reaches the woman he’s trying to protect. The sequence is brilliantly executed and highly intense - engrossing and overwhelming the viewer with sheer cinematic force. In many ways this is indicative of the film's entire experience, a constantly involving and gradually suspenseful account of people desperately fighting for a glimmer of hope, promise, and life. While the story may not be very complex, the filmmaking and performances add the depth necessary for real emotional resonance. Cuarón’s vision places Children of Men among the best sci-fi films of recent years, focusing on character and theme more than empty spectacle. Adult science-fiction is almost always the best within the genre, and films like Children of Men or A Scanner Darkly demonstrate how the genre can be so sophisticated, meaningful, and provocative. Sci-fi has unfortunately been reduced to several lesser filmmakers trying unsuccessfully to duplicate the magic of Star Wars or the visual integrity of The Matrix, with little attention given to more realistic or esoteric efforts from studios and audiences. Films like Children of Men come few and far between, so it’s doubly exciting when something this accomplished actually arrives.

In 2027, women are infertile, and the world has collapsed. Humanity has only so much time to survive, entire populations have been decimated by nuclear fallout, and only Britain barely manages to maintain a society with heavy government control. Immigrants from around the world are illegal and the major surviving population are refugees. An organization lead by Julian (Julianne Moore) rebels against the government’s oppressive control, labeled obviously as terrorists. Simply put, the world is a complete mess on the brink of total destruction. At the outset of the film, Britain is stunned by the death of its youngest individual, a young man at the age of 18. Theo (Clive Owen) is a former activist who works a regular day job and spends most of his time hanging out with Jasper (Michael Caine) at his remote house outside of London. His life changes when Julian, his ex-wife, contacts him for help involving an important matter with a young girl. It’s been twenty years since Theo and Julian’s marriage ended because of their child’s death, and the sudden reunion seems like a second chance for both of them. She asks Theo to use his connections to get a transit paper for a girl named Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), who turns out to be the first pregnant woman in 18 years. The plan is to get Kee out of Britain and to an organization called The Human Project - a group focused on rebuilding a new and safe society. After a series of horrible circumstances puts Theo in charge of protecting Kee, the characters journey through Britain to reach their destination. Kee gives birth along the way, increasing the stakes as they pass through military checkpoints and other dangerous situations.

The most effective aspect of the film’s structure is how Cuarón reveals details about the characters and the society itself. Children of Men is true visual storytelling, using imagery to do a lot of the exposition. Most of the details appear in the background: caged immigrants, people in poverty, uprisings and war. Cuarón uses haunting imagery to create a real, believable setting to immerse the audience. The visual effects are completely seamless, only adding to that realism and intensity. The immediacy of the world is what makes Theo’s journey so emotionally involving. The performances are great, especially Owen and Caine, but it’s really Cuarón’s forceful and passionate direction that gives Children of Men its depth. This is a tense and riveting experience, an extremely well made sci-fi thriller.