Children of Men (2006)

Premise: In 2027, people have grown infertile. In Britain, chaos reigns, borders are closed, and illegal immigrants are rounded up in cages to await deportation. Theo (Clive Owen) is contacted by his ex-wife, Julian (Julianne Moore), the leader of a radical political group, to assist in the transportation of an illegal out of the country. Theo discovers that the young girl in question, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), is pregnant, and he must deliver her to the Human Project in the hopes of saving both the girl and her unborn child.

Although I have yet to read the review, I understand that Dana Stevens called Children of Men the "movie of the millennium." She backtracked a bit in the Movie Club, and I have no idea why. Set twenty years in the future, director Alfonso Cuarón has created a world that is as close as tomorrow and as far away as WWII. He brings the Guernica to life, weaves T.S Eliot into the dialogue, takes time for a laugh, and never stops surprising you. He does that which every movie attempts, and, I see now, most movies fail.

As Theo, Owen plays the living embodiment of 1 Corinthians 13:13. It's so close to the chest because both the screenplay and Owen himself refuse to make Theo's motivations explicit until the very end. There's no real reason for Theo to put himself on the line like this, but he does, and it's exquisite.

A couple of those I went with last night remarked that Ashitey wasn't quite at the calibre they would have liked, but I can't say that I agree. The most extraordinary thing is happening to Kee, but it's also the most dangerous thing. She's young and not very bright, but Ashiety gives Kee the will to survive in a real and honest way. The bond Kee and Theo form is so sweet.

I could probably spend a whole day on the supporting cast, perfect as it was, but I don't want to do that. People were surprising me left, right, and centre. People I didn't think could surprise me anymore (Michael Caine), people I constantly underestimate (Chiwetel Ejiofor), people who are better than I know how to express (Julianne Moore). Pam Ferris, as the well named Miriam, was the standout for me. Miriam was a true-believer surrounded by liars and even her short monologue on her own experience could not dampen her faith and dedication.

I know it was a novel, and I know that there are five credited screenwriters, but I really have to give it up to Cuarón here. There were lighter moments, but every second of ease and tranquility meant that whole minutes of sorrow and strife would follow. Every frame of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's was telling the story, every note in John Tavener's score, every location. It all adds up to Cuarón putting together something so amazingly uplifting from the ashes.

Children of Men appears to be getting shut out of major American awards, and I can't come up with words to explain how fucking stupid that is. What Owen does here is why men should win Best Actor awards. What Cuarón does here is why people should win Best Director. What happened on the screen isn't just why movies should win Best Picture awards. It's why we go to the movies. It's why we should care about what's happening in our world. It's a glimpse at the not-at-all distant future, at a world of despair, and it has the courage to tell us to take heart. Dana Stevens is right. It's not just the best picture of 2006. It's the movie of the millennium. A+