Children of Men

Children of Men is one of the best films I've seen since....

I keep starting that sentence when I tell my friends about the movie but have yet to finish it because I can't remember the last time I left a theater feeling that affected. All of the friends I saw the film with were blown away as well, and I'm counting the days until the film is officially released in America (I was lucky enough to attend a special screening at the Alamo Drafthouse, the best movie theater on earth).

When I first saw the trailer for Children of Men I remember being immediately drawn in by the sense of utter despair in the future portrayed by the film, a world in which women have stopped giving birth and humanity is living out its final years before extinction. I'm a big fan of Clive Owen, and I was into the trailer right up until the point it switched gears and revealed that there was, in fact, one woman who could apparently still bear children. At that point I tuned out, cynically certain that the film was just another "gritty" Hollywood movie that lacked any sense of integrity or guts, where everything eventually worked out happily for all of our favorite household movie stars.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

I don't know where to start praising Children of Men. Every performance was fantastic, not only due to the brilliance of the actors but also due to the well-crafted, unique and memorable characters created by the film's team of writers. Alfonso Cuarón's direction was visceral and mind-blowing at times, with a few unbroken shots so long and enrapturing that I almost forgot to breathe. The art direction and set design of the film made it feel much more like a world than a linear narrative; I felt like I lived there with those desperate people. I was sucked in, experiencing the despair of the characters and identifying with their utter and complete lack of hope.

The story itself moved forward at blinding speed, kicking off from the first scene and never slowing down until the final frame. I won't go into spoilers, but let me say that the trailer takes you through about the first third of the film and doesn't give away half of what makes the movie so engrossing. It's killing me not to go into specifics, but this really is the kind of film you should go into with an open mind and no more foreknowledge than the trailer provides.

When I try to think of a single word to describe Children of Men, I can only come up with "powerful." It's a dark and bleak movie, but I wouldn't call it depressing. There are moments of tenderness and levity, but I wouldn't call it funny. It addresses ethnic tensions and the current climate of international conflict and unrest, but I wouldn't call it political. I keep coming back to thinking of it as simply powerful, nothing more and nothing less. You can't ignore it or tune it out; it's there and it will get under your skin. You'll think about its message and its ambiguities and its ability to hit you when and where you least expect.

This is a film that will stay with you.

Just go see it.

Rating: 5/5 Stars