thePeanutBloggery

The future does not look bright. In fact, it looks downright bleak. And director Alfonso Cuaron’s latest effort doesn’t break this news gently. According to “Children of Men,” by 2027, Earth will have fallen victim to a plague that leaves all women sterile, essentially winding up the death clock for the entire human race and creating conditions so troubling that suicide pills are sold over the counter and anti-depressants are popped like after-dinner mints.

The story is told through the eyes of Theo (Clive Owen), who, at the beginning of the film, is nearly blown to bits as he exits the shop from which he gets his morning coffee, the almost-victim of an apparent terrorist attack, readying the audience for what’s to come. From there, the story becomes a whirlwind of events as Theo becomes the quintessential reluctant hero. Following the instructions of his ex-wife, Julian (Julianne Moore), he escorts the world’s only pregnant woman, a refugee named Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), to a clandestine commune dubbed The Human Project, an organization aiming to recreate civilization as it was meant to be.

Shot with gritty, overcast England as its inspiration, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki uses handheld cameras, natural lighting, and the rolling hills of pastoral Britain to provide a unique dystopia where death is the norm and new life is non-existent. The dynamic and visceral style in which the film is shot is best exemplified by one of the most impressive scenes captured on celluloid in the past ten years: In a seemingly continuous shot, the camera follows Theo as he makes his way through a riot-torn refugee camp in search of Kee, maneuvering his way through gunshots, explosions, tanks, and falling buildings. Words don’t do it justice.

“Children of Men” is not without its problems. It’s short on story and the characters aren’t allowed much time to develop, leaving it an almost shallow experience. It’s this lack of depth that creates a somewhat detached narrative in a film otherwise steeped in realism. But relative to what the film accomplishes in its uniqueness, style, and subject matter, it’s a small price to pay.