Alfonso Cuaron’s 2006
adaptation of P.D. James’ novel, The Children Of Men, has a particularly unique
place in my own personal history as an enthusiast of cinema. It is, so far, the
only film which has caused me to have a complete shift in opinion. When I first
saw it, I was relatively nonplussed. I didn’t get or understand what it was
about, felt that the film was all craft and no substance. However, every couple
of years, I would end up watching it, and every single time I felt it was a
better film, to the point that I have now for some time considered it to be a
masterpiece. As I alluded to, there is a tremendous amount of skill in the craft behind the
technical achievements in this film. Emmanuel Lubezki’s mastery of the long
take is on full display here, which mixed together with the sound quality and
the sharp editing from Cuaron and Alex Rodriguez give this a powerful and
contemporary feel. Even though it is set in a dystopian future London, this is
an urbane landscape that feels eerily familiar, the almost-newsreel style
presentation of the piece bringing to mind docudramas like Peter Watkins’ The
War Game. But it’s not just a technically sound film, because at the heart of
it is a strong, powerful story. Clive Owen, in his greatest screen
performance, as Theo, is a sympathetic and relatable reluctant protagonist in his
attempts to protect the pregnant Kee, who after two decades of infertility may
be humanity’s one glimmer of hope. The sociopolitical implications of their
travels across England to provide safe sanctuary for the illegal immigrant
against the oppressive government forces are all very prevalent today with the
recent demonization of the ‘other’ in the eyes of Western civilization. It is a
remarkable and thought-provoking tale.
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