The Leader

The year is 2027. Women around the world have been unable to bear children for almost 19 years, essentially meaning that the human race will die out in around 50 years. Set in a bleak and dystopian London (think hints of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange), violence and chaos have overtaken the streets as there is almost no hope for humanity’s survival.

Enter our hero, Theo (Clive Owen), as he looks in on the TV screen only to find that the world’s youngest person has died. Since the death of his own son, he has no will or passion for life in general and cares little about the events around him. That is until he meets up with his ex-wife (and mother to his own child) Julian (Julianne Moore). She is part of a militant faction that needs Theo’s help to try and attain important papers for Kee (newcomer Clare-Hope Ashitey), who desperately needs to be escorted out of the country into a safe haven. But this is no ordinary woman by any means. Kee is, in fact, the world’s last and only opportunity at survival: she is miraculously eight months pregnant. Soon Theo embarks on a mission that takes him on a tumultuous and dangerous journey to save and protect Kee and her potential child from enemies who would seek to use the baby for their own gains.

Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men is quite simply one of the best films I’ve managed to come across in some time. It is so downbeat, almost ugly to watch at times, but the film is a brilliant display of strikingly raw, desolate yet beautiful images interwoven with a story that is emotionally moving and engaging. It starts with Cuaron’s brilliantly effective direction: he loves the use of very long and drawn out shots, showcasing the frantic and chaotic nature of unfolding events. In particular, there is a sequence that involves the camera following Theo through the brushes of heavy gunfire (think WWII type films) as he tries to make his way towards Kee. He puts us right in the midst of the action, never giving us a moment’s rest. He gets us right there, up close and in your face.

Cuaron’s futuristic vision is similar to our own world. There are no robots or space crafts at display here, but rather ideas like terrorism, hatred and violence are just as prevalent here as they would be in our (real) current world. Certain technologies and ideas are hinted at, but mostly this is overlooked by a reality full of cold, grim images and ideas.

The acting is top notch, with Owen, Moore, Ashitey and a supporting Michael Caine all turning in Oscar caliber performances here. Just as the main characters are engaged in their own personal and emotional struggles, we are right along with them, rooting for them and hoping they see it to the end.

While it may be hard to believe and involve oneself in a film displaying a subject such as infertility in such an ugly and violent stricken world, Children of Men fully engages us from start to finish with its powerful and effective images. Cuaron’s vision is disheartening, sure, but it ultimately expresses a message that we can all learn from: hope.

5 of 5

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