Children of Men (Movie Review)

If you think this movie looks dark or depressing... you're right. On both counts.

But it also happens to be thought-provoking, well-intended and well-crafted.

In short: it's hard to not be pulled into the story line, even as various plot-holes emerge.

That is to say, this movie isn't without flaws. But they're not the sort of informational gaps that have rendered a great many science fiction films laughable, and altogether implausible, in my eyes (see: Serenity). Rather, any concerns I had weren't crippling; just... moderately distracting. I walked away with questions brought upon not so much by the ending, but rather the events that led up the story's inciting action.

As is often the case with any new film, I didn't know too much about Children until I walked in to see it. I knew it was a dark piece of science fiction that takes place in the not-so-distant future.

Here's some more information that may prove useful without spoiling the viewing experience: it takes place in the UK in 2027, but relays the events of 2009 onward. In 2009, the last human baby is born, as women worldwide inexplicably battle infertility. Clive Owen stars as an ordinary Joe who used to be a political activist. Julianne Moore and Michael Caine co-star as members of Owen's circle of friends. And, yes, they were once activists too.

As you might expect, the inability to conceive has resulted in a bit of an existential crisis that takes man's fear of death to an entirely new level. It's no longer limitations of a single lifetime that force man to (in-) action, but rather the fear of humanity's imminent collapse that results in transnational chaos. Violence erupts, and with it religious fanaticism. Parallel to this is Britain's battle with illegal immigration, as people flock to this "stable" empire after the collapse of their own.

I'll leave it at that, except to say this dynamic adds a bit of a philosophical slant to the movie. Unfortunately, this philosophical undertone (with its notions of existence and sterility, among others) takes the backseat to the film's more blatant political statement regarding immigration. I find this to be unfortunate insofar as Children thereby fails to reach its full potential.

And, naturally, in order to want man to survive this "procreative" snafu, you've got to find the main players likeable. They are, and I do. In fact, the scenes involving Owen, Caine and/or Moore are some of the film's warmest, offering respite (for Owen and the audience alike) from underlying anxiety. Kudos, too, to big screen newcomer, Claire-Hope Ashitey.

FINAL GRADE: B+