Children of Men is one of the most visually stunning movies made in a long time. Director and screenwriter Alfonso Cuaron does a phenomenal job weaving a very serious story and captivating the audience with some of the most amazing camera shots (also kudos to Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki).
The story takes place in 2027 London, in a world where humans have not been able to procreate in over 18 years. We follow the character Theo (Clive Owens) who agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to the safety of a ship that can protect her and the baby, and possibly save mankind by discovering how she was able to get pregnant.
While the acting was all excellent, the really impressive thing to see here is the cinematography and art direction. Incredibly long shots of a world that looks and feels so real and so desperate (not at all like a set) that the viewer feels enthralled with the story. The humanity in the film is so realistic that we truly see a reflection of the best and worst that we could all become. It is almost completely void of comic relief which makes it difficult to watch, but completely absorbing at the same time.
Children of Men ends so abruptly that it almost hurts the flow of the rest of the movie. It literally feels like they ran out of film, which does kind of hurt your impression of the movie as you walk out of the theater. I’m very curious to read the novel and see if it ended in a similar fashion, however I have read that the book by P.D. James is actually quite different altogether. However, that said, the film does end with a small sense of hope. Theo finally gets the young pregnant woman to the boat poetically named “Tomorrow,” but unfortunately he dies from a gunshot wound right before it arrives. The viewer can assume that she will safely board the ship, and perhaps the human race can be saved.
By Tina Alexander
