Children of Men (2006)

"...the most deeply imagined and fully realized world to be seen on screen this year...bring[s] to mind names like Orson Welles and Stanley Kubrick.  Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
"...the movie of the millennium...random bursts of violence and terror.  Dana Stevens, Slate Magazine
"...a heartbreaking, bullet-strewn valentine to what keeps us human.  Keith Phipps, The Onion A.V. Club
"...energy, intensity and excitement...a "Blade Runner" for the 21st century...  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"...a work of art that deserves a space cleared for its angry, nervous beauty.  Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
"...the most deeply imagined and fully realized world to be seen on screen this year...bring[s] to mind names like Orson Welles and Stanley Kubrick.  Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

Editor's Note CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience because the picture is an amazing dystopian drama that lacks all the typical trappings of the genre. Set uncomfortably close to the present, it paints a frighteningly realistic picture of the future. In 2027, every woman on earth is infertile. With the loss of the ability to have children, the world has also lost hope. Clive Owen (CLOSER) plays Theo, an Englishman attempting to make a life in a hellish world. His estranged wife (Julianne Moore) convinces him to help transport a young woman to safety. When Theo learns that the woman is pregnant, their journey takes on a significance--and a danger--he never imagined. This is Cuarón's best film to date, a strong statement considering his wonderful HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN. Filmed using a handheld camera, the action draws the audience close, making the horror that much more real. In addition to its remarkable car-chase scenes, the film features impressive acting. With his expressive face and voice, Owen gives a nuanced performance that ranks with the best of his career. As a reclusive hippie, Michael Caine shares a charming counterculture view of the crumbling world. Chiwetel Ejiofor (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) brings gravitas to the role of a terrorist. Just when the film threatens to overwhelm with its sense of dread, small moments of comedy show through in Owen's wry sense of humor and Caine's perfect delivery. When the credits roll, CHILDREN OF MEN leaves the audience feeling shell-shocked, not only because of its brutal prophecy, but also because of its brilliance.

	Chiwetel Ejiofor
	Clive Owen
	Julianne Moore
	Michael Caine
	Alex Rodriguez - Editor
	Alfonso Cuaron - Editor
	Alfonso Cuaron - Director
	Alfonso Cuaron, et. al. - Screenplay
	Armyan Bernstein - Executive Producer
	Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer
	John Tavener - Original Music By
	Marc Abraham - Producer
	P.D. James - Based On Novel By
	Ray Chan, et. al. - Art Director
	Geoffrey Kirkland - Production Designer
	Jim Clay - Production Designer

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "It's a very finely made film, with Owen hinting at a humanity beneath the character's grubby cynicism and delivering one of his most consistent, impressive performances." 11/01/2006 p.49

Sight and Sound
"[T]he main pyrotechnics are saved for the semi-impressionist action climax....CHILDREN OF MEN's unrestrained energy is electrifying." 12/01/2006 p.50

Film Comment
Ranked #19 in Film Comment's "20 Best Films Of 2006." 01/01/2007 p.36

Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "CHILDREN OF MEN does what the best dystopic drama should do: it makes you look at the world around you and shudder." 02/01/2007 p.104

Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "In the spellbinding CHILDREN OF MEN, his best film to date, Cuaron, 45, fills every frame with his passion and intellect. Here's a movie that grabs you hard, pops your eyes, provokes your mind and ultimately lifts your spirits." 01/25/2007 p.78

Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "This is gut-pummelling and tense stuff, as Cuaron creates a world only a few steps removed from our own....CHILDREN OF MEN is guaranteed classic status." 03/01/2007 p.93

Entertainment Weekly
"Cuaron's long takes and snaking tracking shots are constantly intensifying the real-world nature of Owen's sci-fi odyssey." -- Grade: A 03/30/2007 p.57

Movieline's Hollywood Life
"Cuaron turns the screws like an expert torturer -- CHILDREN OF MEN sets a new high bar for all-in-one tracking shot wonderment..." 03/01/2007 p.108

Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "Searingly committed to celluloid by Cuaron, CHILDREN OF MEN is a film that gets into your head....Stunning." 08/01/2007 p.83

ReelViews 8 of 10
Children of Men, Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of the P.D. James novel, takes a look at England in an apocalyptic near-future, when standards of law and order have broken down and the country is ruled by a fascist dictator...Children of Men isn't interested in dissecting the reasons for the situation, but in exploring the societal ramifications of it...Often with movies that are adapted from books, it's easy to assess whether the cinematic version is superior or inferior to the written one. In the case of Children of Men, the divergence of material is so great that such a simple determination cannot be made. Cuaron's interpretation, inspired more than based on James' novel, takes on a life of its own...Although imperfect, it's engaging, thought-provoking stuff. - James Berardinelli

Reel.com 10 of 10
It is a future that looks pretty much like our present, with one big exception. In 2027, as envisioned first by British writer P.D. James in her novel Children of Men and now by director Alfonso Cuaron, there are no children. The end is near for humanity, but it did not take a nuclear war, global warming, or a terrorist campaign to manage the feat. It is a case of massive infertility: No woman has given birth in the world in over 18 years...People are staring not at a bleak future, but at no future at all. At least, that is where this gripping, dark, but ultimately hopeful thriller--one of the best films of the year--begins...Children of Men presents a provocative proposition, because it is not all that far-fetched in our age of environmental degradation and the potential it has to wreak havoc. The film is also that rare thing, one that entertains even as it leaves you thinking. - Pam Grady