Children of Men [2006]
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Actor: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine
It’s 2027 and for the last 18 years women have been infertile, thrusting the world into a veritable anarchy. Terrorism is rife, cults and sects are gaining power as the last generation is slowly getting older and dying. Most countries are in anarchy, but “Brittain marches on.” Great Brittain is assaulted by waves and waves of refugees from all over the world, who are put in internment camps. Terrorist organisations fight for refugee-rights, refugees are trying to keep out of the hands of authorities, messiahs rise up and claim to have the one true faith that will guide people to safety while they are nearing the end of days, the end of humanity. People become apathic, polution is rampant simply because there’s no new generation to donate the world to. Who cares, anyway?
And then there’s is this young, refugee girl, Kee (Ashitey), who is miraculously pregnant. At first she doesn’t know what’s wrong with her because she’s never been taught by anyone how reproductivity works. When she reveals that she’s pregnant, she immediately becomes a pawn in the game of the Fishes, a terrorist organisation fighting for refugee rights and against government oppression. Lead by the charismatic Julian (Moore), the Fishes want to get her to the near-mythical Human Project, a group of researchers, grouped together on boats, disconnected from any country or authority, having mythical paradise havens on small islands. Kee will be well there, Julian believes, and she might unlock the mystery of fertility to the scientists. Others within the Fishes want to dissent and use her as a figure-head of refugee hope. Julian approaches her ex-boyfriend and jaded, long-time activist-turned-bureaucrat Theodore (Owen) because he might be able to help her get Kee to the coast, and onto the Human Project boats.
That starts a dramatic race against time to reach the boat of the Human Project, while the country is visibly breaking down further and further. Fighting in the street, Man’s inhumanity against Man, and one of the last countries on the break of dissaster.
This is one of those films that leaves a lasting impression on me. Anything with a dystopian outlook has the tendency to do that with me, but this film does it amazingly well. The acting is good, the story is compelling, the cinematography is amazing. It’s a great film that I recommend to everyone.
