CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 12/29/06

The Future is Bright, but Flawed

By nick randall

Even though the script isn't on par with the brilliant filmmaking, director Alfonso Cuaron and his co-writers still get a lot right in their adaptation of P.D. James' popular British novel about an apathetic man's unlikely journey to revive hope in a future society spiraling toward its own demise.

Children of Men

Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Based on the novel by P.D. James

In 2027, ex-activist Theo (Clive Owen) lives in England, the only country to survive total chaos and destruction 18 years after it is discovered humans can no longer procreate. This little sanctuary of life is anything but heaven, however, as the government rules with such an iron fist that it herds immigrants into cages and hunts down rebels seeking a better way of life. That includes Theo's ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore), who shows up one day with Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a young immigrant who by some miracle has become pregnant. When the government closes in on Julian's whereabouts, Kee's identity is put into jeopardy and it's up to Theo to transport her past the military in order to rendezvous with the Human Project, a group of scientists sworn to save mankind. But along the way, Theo and Kee encounter both friends and foes that will test their will to survive and put at risk the entire hopes of a nation.

There is no questioning the power of the film's premise, one that creates a compelling vision of the near-future in which there are no baby strollers, no children playing in the streets, and there is almost no hope or joy. It's refreshing that, as science fiction, there is nothing sleek or cool about this film. The action is gritty, real, and intense. Science fiction as a genre has had a history of tackling social and political issues, whether it's George Orwell's 1984 or Ron Moore's revamp of Battlestar Galactica, and that tradition continues here with the writers portraying a future that resonates with what's happening in the world today. It's no coincidence that the military in this film bombs its own people to keep them scared and controlled.

Politics aside, the script for Children of Men (by five credited writers, including director Cuarón of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban fame) sadly does not take full advantage of the story's engaging premise. It's true the film needs to be bleak in order to contrast the characters' slim hopes of success but that does not mean that piling on every conceivable problem for the protagonist is a good idea. It isn't enough that Theo is a drunk and sees no hope in the future. It isn't enough that Theo puts his family in danger and must outsmart a violent rebel faction. He must also dodge bullets and missiles and do most of it wearing flip-flops! The script almost becomes too much of an action film and at some point, it's just overkill.

When the writers do allow for some laughter to creep into the story, the film shines. This mostly comes from Theo's hippie father Jasper (Michael Caine), who hasn't forgotten that sometimes playing your favorite song on the radio is enough to make all your worries go away. It's too bad that Theo hasn't learned the same lesson, because most of the time, he's simply too serious and too caught up in the treacherous journey ahead to enjoy himself.

And why exactly do we care about these characters? There is one exceptional moment between Theo and ex-wife Julian in which they spit a ping pong ball back and forth, comically catching it in their mouths. We understand in that one scene how they were once happy and are so close to getting there again. But that is about as far as character development goes in this film. The story instead jams in so many obstacles that there is little time to catch your breath and get to know these characters. Or perhaps more importantly, there isn't enough time to understand the full circumstances of England's crisis and why the common citizen so desperately needs Theo to complete his mission.

Children of Men succeeds in creating a unique future, thanks in large part to one of the best story premises this year. It's too bad, then, that the film relies a bit too much on its stylish production values to make up for a flawed script.

Children of Men

Universal Pictures
Rated R; 108 min.

Buy tickets now

Nick Randall is one of the aspirants currently paying for a degree in screenwriting. He has written two features, a TV spec, and a TV pilot. After spending the first twenty-one years of his life in the Midwest, the thing he misses most in L.A. is Steak 'n Shake.

Children of Men courtesy Universal Pictures

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