Chidren of Men

A dark dystopian film, the Children of Men stunned me. I loved the book when I read it several years ago as part of my thesis research. I was very eager to see the film since the book left such a strong impression upon me. The film has had the same effect, but as I said it is very dark. Of course PD James' book also depicts a chaotic world, but the film really brings it to the forefront by taking us directly into the middle of the battle quite literally.

Set in Britain in 2027, the Children of Men depicts a world where no children have been born in almost twenty years. As the world mourns the death of the youngest living person on earth, Theo (Clive Owen) gets caught up in the political struggles between government (depicted as a police state with a totalitarian approach to immigration -- immigrants being anyone who is not British since the rest of the world is in complete ruins) and a "terrorist group".

When Theo discovers that Kee, the woman he is helping, is actually pregnant, the stakes are raised and so begins his journey to help her reach the "human project" a supposed safe haven for those who risk getting to them. No one has actually spoken to anyone from the human project since they do not communicate with the rest of the world directly. Theo and Kee must rely on "faith and chance" to complete their journey. And this is what the film is really about.

I won't tell you how it ends, but I will tell you to see it. It is a hopeful ending without wrapping things up too neatly. It's a powerful film. It is very violent and yet has very touching moments within such chaos. I couldn't help but think of places in the world where such violence exists and while people suffer and die they also survive and somehow find hope.

I recommend the film and/or the book. Both were well worth my time.