The Blessing of "Children" - A Review

This might end up as the shortest movie review ever, and certainly the shortest anything to ever come from a billowing windbag like myself.

Some things need no words. In short, “Children of Men” is brilliant.

The film, a devastating look into the near-future collapse and extinction of the human race, is seared onto the screen with unflinching bravura by director Alfonso Cuaron. Endless adjectives could feebly attempt to describe his techniques in this film, and fail utterly; suffice it to say that a better directing job has not been seen in theaters in years, if not decades. Two sequences in particular will be required study by film students from now on. Absolutely stunning.

Briefly, the film presents a glimpse into a future in which women are infertile, and the human race nears extinction. Society collapses. Then, a girl named Kee is found pregnant, and it becomes the duty of an office worker named Theodore (Clive Owen) to ensure her safe passage through the war-torn land and into the hands of doctors who can save her child, and humanity.

The performances are completely real. Owen shines as a man numbed by the world around him. Julianne Moore, as Theodore’s ex-wife, has a small but grounded turn. And Michael Caine nearly steals the film in the role of Thoedore’s best friend, a pot-smoking philosopher.

The world Cuaron creates is totally submersive; you are surrounded on all sides by decay, grime, hatred, and shocking violence. The special effects integrate perfectly into the hand-held shots, and some of the long, long takes in this film are so incredible in both their immediacy and technical complexity that I can scarcely believe that he pulled it off. As simply a technical exercise, “Children of Men” is a landmark achievement.

Without a doubt, “Children of Men” is the best film I have seen in several years. A remarkable, towering cinematic experience.