Children of Men - A

Released on DVD this week.

In 2027, worldwide plaques and war have led to a Britain being ruled under marital law. In addition, no baby has been born in 18 years. An indiferrent and disillusioned Theo (Clive Owen) is asked by his former wife/lover (Julianne Moore) for "letters of transit" via his cousin in the government. In desperate need of money, Theo reluctantly agrees. As he tries to reconnect with his ex, Theo is drawn into the mission of transporting a pregnant woman out of the country.

Director Alfonso Cuaron shows extraneous characters often early in the film. The camera moves from Theo to random characters on the ground and behind cages. As the movie progresses, the camera stays with Theo, including an ridiculously long take at the climax as Theo makes his way through a war zone. Cuaron adds other touches including showing farm animals, dead and alive, throughout in the corners of the frame as well as in the foreground and background. Throw in recreations of a Pink Floyd album cover and a famous Abu Ghraib photograph, and you have one of the best-directed pictures of this decade.

Clive Owen is the perfect choice as the reluctant hero, and the supporting cast is first rate. Michael Caine has fun as an ex-hippie with a penchant for fart jokes. But Cuaron is the real star here. You can see hints of this brilliance in his earlier films Y Tu Mama Tambien and the best Harry Potter movie (Prisoner of Azkaban), but this is a giant leap. The movie is as dense with its thoughts and ideas as it is with its compositions within the frame. An instant classic. One of the most interesting and visually remarkable films in recent years. A