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12/9/2008
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Children Of Men (2006)
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It’s 2027 and the world has all but destroyed itself. As the government’s propaganda proudly tells its citizens, every country in the world is in chaos but Britain marches on. It’s not exactly thriving though, and the London of Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian thriller is full of violence, unrest and bombings. The setting and attention to detail make the film quite unsettling; our hero wears a tattered London 2012 Olympics jumper, a neat touch that keeps the film grounded in a future reality that we can all identify with – there are no robots or flying cars here.
The reason for all the doom and despair is simple: the human race hasn’t been able to conceive in a couple of decades and the world’s youngest person has just been murdered by an autograph hunter. Things do not look good. It’s a wonder that everyone still goes about their work and their business – if you were the last generation on Earth wouldn’t you want to enjoy yourself? Theodore Faron (Clive Owen) certainly doesn’t. He’s a cynical drunk, trudging through life with all the zest you’d expect of a man still grieving the child he lost and the relationship that died with it. His only happiness in life is his visits to old friend Jasper (Michael Caine, clearly enjoying himself) who lives out in the woods, tends to his disabled wife and smokes copious amounts of weed.
One day Theo is ambushed and bundled into a van. He’s taken to a secret hideaway where his ex-lover Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) is running the show as a terrorist of some renown. She needs Theo to use his connections to get transit papers for a young immigrant, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey, sassy but vulnerable). If you’ve seen the trailer you’ll know why they desperately need to get the girl to the coast, but if you haven’t, I won’t spoil it.
Predictably, Theo gets more involved than he planned to, and his quest to protect the girl forms the main narrative drive, his cynicism and gruff exterior gradually chipped away as the girl’s plight gives him a reason to live again. It’s not as corny as it sounds, and there’s so much going on that you won’t have time to stop and think about the details. Just try to keep up with who’s trying to kill who and why, marvel at the documentary style camerawork and sterling production design, and get swept along for a grim but compelling ride.
Clive Owen makes a convincingly world-weary anti-hero. It’s a shame about the lack of chemistry with Julianne Moore, but this is made up for by the easy and funny rapport between him and Michael Caine’s character. There isn’t much meat given to supporting players, as it’s the central relationship between Theo and Kee that we are asked to invest ourselves in, and we do, wholeheartedly. There’s a stunning long take with Owen running and ducking through bomb blasts and gunfire to get to Kee. If you’re not rooting for him, you need to check your pulse.
Children of Men paints a bleak but plausible view of the future, and the interesting concept, good performances and excellent action sequences ensure that it holds your attention right until the end.
Review by Catherine Leopold
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