Children of Men: An Apocalyptic Thriller of Artistic Merit

In the realm of apocalyptic thrillers, pretty much every film falls either into a "very good" category or a "very bad" category. Lucky for us, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men falls in the the former rather than the latter. In fact, it's more than very good. I think it's a great and groundbreaking film that not only draws the audience into its world and characters, but has something important to say as well.

In the year 2027, all women are infertile. The world's youngest person--"Baby Diego," as he's called--is killed because of the celebrity thrust on him as a result of his age. World centers of commerce and community descend into clouds of violence and dispair. The world is quickly deteriorating and Britain is the only country that "soldiers on," though its fate seems inevitable. Those refugees that manage to escape to London are rounded up in cages and taken to brutal camps in busses marked "Homeland Security".

Former activist, and now cynical government worker Theo (played by Clive Owen) is thrust into the middle of a plan by the Fishes (a group fighting for the rights of illegal refugees) to save the world. They have found a young woman named Kee who appears to be the only woman in the world who is pregnant. Theo accompanies Kee on a harrowing journey to find a group of people called the Human Project and a ship called Tomorrow that may or may not even exist, much less be able to help.

This is quite literally a grey world that we're transported into; the film itself is devoid of cheerful colors. Cuarón has washed out the picture so that it simply looks bleak. The camera work was done completely with hand-held cameras which allow for us to be much closer to the action, as if we are walking along side Theo and Kee on their journey to save mankind. It also makes the picture a bit shaky, which was no doubt a conscious decision by the director to reflect the uncertain tone that permeates this work. Grey, bleak, uncertain...all words with a rather negative connotation. Yet this film does not wallow in self-pity. It has a constant thread of optimism, an always present hope that somehow, life will go on, and be beautiful. This is due in no small part to Claire-Hope Ashitey's achingly real performance as Kee. We feel her pain, her fear, and her hope for a child as though they were our own emotions. Ashitey's powerful interpretation, combined with Theo's slow redemption from his cynicism, and the always cheerful Jasper (Michael Caine, in a refreshingly new role for him) allow the characters to thrive, proving that even against a barren future, hope will allow us go on.

Children of Men is a parable not about the future, but about today. It asks, "When the future is uncertain (and it always is) where will we find our hope?" It states that we must relentlessly pursue hope, and must constantly beware of actions we take that rob ourselves or others from it. Finally, an apocalyptic thriller of artistic merit, that makes us think.

A+