Children of Men

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine

What happened to future based films like Blade Runner and Brazil? You know the type, one’s with flying cars and robots. Well, there’s none of that in this version of the future.

The year is 2027 and the world is in a bad way. Women are no longer giving birth and the population world wide is in decline. It’s been 18 years since that last child was born; that is until now.

Clive Owen plays Theo Faron, the reluctant anti hero, tasked with getting the first mother in 18 years to safety. Surrounded on all sides by nutters, refuges and a corrupt fascist state, this is no easy task.

Alsonso Cuaron shows the genius vision, so evident in Y tu mama tambien,  to this bleak future vision of Britain. The film is full of stunning shots of a London dragged straight out of hell. Showing incredible technical ability, there are some shots here that seem to last for hours.  Including a tracking shot through the refugee camp, that sees Owen trying to make good his escape from heavily armed freedom fighters on one side and the government forces on the other. The action is so down and dirty that when blood is splattered across the camera lens it’s still there minutes later, as we’re running through a building literally being torn apart by tank fire.

While this is a tale set in the future, the references to the problems faced by today’s society are constantly mentioned. The picture painted of Britain in 2027 is all too believable, you only have to pick up a newspaper to see where these issues of tomorrow take root.

Children of Men is an absolutely outstanding film and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys, big action, cracking plots and issues that makes you come back to the material long after you’ve finished watching.  Superb!