Review of Children of Men (2006) by Tomo. — 10 Jan 2007

Reminiscent of "28 Days Later," this is "sci-fi" in that it hypothesizes a dystopian future situation, but not in incorporating many advanced technologies. In fact, everything in the brilliant, dark production design looks contemporary, albeit seedy, dirty and worn (as in "Brazil," and "Blade Runner").

The more I see of his work, the more I admire director Alfonso Cuaron. "HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" were exemplary. His H-P title was easily the best of this multi-director franchise series.

Central to the premise of Children is the dissolution of society, apparently catalyzed by a worldwide total crash in fertility. We had an interesting debate over what sort of philosophical and psychological crisis such a development would provoke, and there's no doubt it would be shattering.

But we were both unsure whether the world would go crazy in a violent way. The film also implies that many individuals interpret the fertility crisis as a theological judgment, and that's highly credible.

At the behavioral level, the depictions of terrorists/freedom-fighters and fascist-style Homeland Security forces are also believable. Several of the scenes seem to have been evoked by Abu Ghraib photos.

The action sequences are spectacularly well done. Altogether, a thought-provoking, dark, tense film. And a splendid example of what sci-fi can do best.