The Moving Picture

“Children of Men” is the best science fiction film of 2006. It puts other recent futuristic looks at society, such as “V for Vendetta” and “Ultraviolet” to shame. It manages to criticize society’s fear of the “other” and how opposing ideologies displace their humanity for their sake of their one-sided causes while not slowing down the film’s action.
“Children of Men” is set in the year 2027 when societies all over the world have crumpled reverting to a state of chaos after a childless generation has left humanity without hope and facing the end of days. In one of the most convincing portraits of humankind’s future, advanced technology exists side by side with degradation and abject poverty in England, one of the few countries still maintaining a sense of order under a strict regime.
Ex-revolutionary Theo (Clive Owen) makes his way past cages filled to the brim with illegal refugees rounded up for deportation as well as bombings to his paper-pushing job at the Department of Energy. Then one day his ex-wife (Julianne Moore), the rebel leader, shows up asking him to use his government connections to acquire transit papers for a young refugee girl. Theo agrees for a price.
However, his priorities change after the love of his life is killed during the trip and he learns that the girl in question is carrying humankind’s first child in more than 20 years. He takes it upon himself to make sure that she arrives safely at the Human Project, a group of scientists working in secret on humankind’s infertility problem.
“Children of Men” manages to effectively balance social criticism with an exciting action packed chase. It is never too heavy-handed or too slow. However, there are points in the film where it is obvious that parts of the original novel were deleted in the interest of pacing. For instance, the ending is a bit abrupt after a 30-minute chase sequence. An extra 10 minutes of exposition would not have slowed the film or deadened the ending a bit.
However, it is these final 30-minutes that are the most interesting. There are several long, continuous shots that put the viewer right in the midst of a desperate firefight between rebels and the British military. Then, in one of the most compelling moments of the film, the battle stopped; all shooting halted as Theo and the new mother cradling her day-old infant make their way through the combatants to safety. The sudden silence and the desperate hope on the faces of the soldiers and bystanders alike was gut wrenching.
This film also boasted some interesting characters and excellent deliveries. Owen as the barely sober do-gooder was as powerful as always and Michael Caine as the pot-growing hippie philosopher was a light in the dark film. However, the true star was Claire-Hope Ashitey as Kee, the mother of mankind’s future. She was funny, tough and delicate as the pregnant refugee.
“Children of Men” is a quality film that even non science-fiction fans can enjoy. If you are not normally a fan of futuristic films, you may just find something in this movie for you. It is less about science and more about people and for this reason it has a message for us all.