Children of Men

Imagine a world where women have lost the ability to conceive and hopelessness has replaced the joy of having children. This is the world that is portrayed in Alfonso Cuaron's latest film Children of Men. Starring Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Claire-Hope Ashitey, the story takes place in a futuristic version of England, where immigrants or people deemed "non-British" are being systematically forced to flee the country or at least pushed to segregated ghettos. Meanwhile, the somewhat apathetic Clive Owen character Theo is pulled into an operation to provide safe passage for a young woman who is miraculously pregnant, the first in roughly eighteen years.
This idea of a cynical, hopeless society controlled by a totalitarian government of a suddenly super-powerful Britain appears in the recent V for Vendetta as well. This interesting Orwellian outlook on the future reflects the mood of many people in this day and age. However, I think that the presentation (done primarily under British influence) of that sentiment in this form--dramatic, almost science fiction--is far more sophisticated and convincing than is the general American model of communicating essentially the same idea through comedic fluff. While it is quite entertaining to see our current president imitated and mocked (in films such as Paul Weitz's 2006 release American Dreamz), I find it far more interesting to see what some people feel our world could be heading toward, even if some aspects are a bit extreme. The editing and filming added to the chaos of the story. For most of the film, there are fairly short shots that jump around a bit from person to person and point of view to point of view. Finally toward the end as an eerily calm scene arises, there is one of the longest ongoing shots ever produced that truly adds to the effect of the situation. While most of the characters are rather underdeveloped, in a way it is unecessary to develop them too much, with more of the focus on the ideas of the story rather than the roles. Definitely recommended for a grim, intense, and moving look at the future!