Review: Children of Men

        I'm a sucker for long takes. The amount of things that need to go right that risk starting the take over again all the way from the beginning. The most famous is arguably the long tracking shot from Goodfellas which lasts over three minutes. Long takes are a true test for a director because of all the issues that need to be overcome that could otherwise be dealt with in the editing room. Long takes also add a level of realism that gets lost the more that cuts are used. We experience every day as one long take, so seeing long takes in film makes the film more real. Children of Men uses numerous long takes, 62 of them are longer than 20 seconds, 6 of which are longer than 90 seconds. It makes the film feel very gritty and real which is important for science fiction movies as it make the future seem more plausible. This is aspect tantamount to this film. It's the realism that draws us in and makes this movie so powerful.

        Children of Men takes place in England in the year 2027. Natural disasters, wars, and terrorism, have caused the world to collapse into anarchy. Only England continues to maintain any sort of order through the force of a oppressive government. The more pressing issue that is on everyone's mind is the fact that there have been no new babies born for 18 years. The film opens with our hero Theo Faron (Clive Owen) watching a news report in a cafe about the killing of “Baby Diego,” the youngest living human on earth. As the last surviving government, Britain has closed it's borders to the hoards of refugees trying to immigrate to the country. The British government is also locked in a battle with a group of activists fighting for immigrants rights. Theo is kidnapped by this group, headed by Julian (Julianne Moore), Theo's former lover; they lost a child years ago. Julian's group wants Theo to use his influence to acquire transit papers for Kee, a refugee, so she can be smuggled out of the country to a rumored safe haven. Kee is of vital importance to the future of humanity because in a world where no one is conceiving, she is pregnant. Theo and Kee must undertake a journey to the coast, avoiding government interference and dodging the ongoing violence between Homeland Security and the oppressed refugees.

        Clive Owen plays a different type of hero than what we normally see in movies like this. From the very moment the cafe that he just exited explodes at the beginning of the movie, he's scared. He lacks the confidence that is exuded by your Johns McClane and Rambo. He is a man in a situation that is over his head and barely beyond his control, but he does the best he can to protect Kee on their journey to the coast. The cinematography is astounding, aided largely by the long tracking shots used throughout the movie that I mentioned above. Director Alfonso Cuaron, is a masterful director and clearly a believer in long takes. It's rumored his upcoming film Gravity opens with a single 13 minute long take. Cuaron's vision of the future is very realistic, the clothing and buildings of 2027 look just like those we see today, just a little worn out and shabby. I liked the small detail of Theo's London 2012 Olympics sweater that he wears for much of the film, especially since this film was made in 2006. This realism gives this film a powerful punch, you fear for the lives of the characters as they make their way through war-torn areas with little or no protection. This film was nominated for Oscars in cinematography, editing, and screenwriting, and I would argue that it would not have been nominated for it's script had the cinematography and editing not been as magnificent as they are.