Children of Men

I love a dystopian tale. Originally written by P.D. James, Children of Men is the hauntingly real story with a "what-if" of epic proportions: What if next year every woman in the world became infertile?

Set in an apocalyptic United Kingdom of 2027, the film explores a grim world in which two decades of global human infertility have left humanity with less than a century to survive. Societal collapse, terrorism, and environmental destruction accompany the impending extinction, with Britain, perhaps the last functioning government, persecuting a seemingly endless wave of illegal immigrant refugees seeking sanctuary. In the midst of this chaos, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) must find safe transit for Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a pregnant African refugee - the first pregnant woman in 20 years and perhaps the last hope for humanity.

Few films are so grippingly palpable in forecasting the future. Children of Men (expertly filmed by Alfonso Cuarón, whose Y tu mamá también (2001) was one of my favourite recent coming-of-age tales), turns the mirror on our current political landscape and predicts an all-too-real chaos informed by xenophobia and terror. Clive Owen is convincing in his role, while Julianne Moore (whom I ordinarily admire) was abysmal, flat and detached. Look for a great hippie role for Michael Caine - he's brilliant here. One of finer, more intelligent films I've seen of late. High recommended.

4 out of 5 stars