The Children Of Men is a SF film, based on a novel by PD James, set about twenty years in the future. It's a future where no babies have been born for 18 years, due to mysterious worldwide infertility. The world is also very unpleasant.
The story is set in Britain, and shows an island overwhelmed by refugees. This is very close to current concerns, the expansion of the EU and free travel across borders has caused a major debate in the UK about immigrants. In the future Britain it's all gone a bit fascist, with massive refugee camps, nasty police and a trigger happy army. Meanwhile the privileged elite live a luxury lifestyle in inner London.
That's the setting. The story follows Theo as he becomes embroiled in a plot with an organisation that fights for refugees rights.
I'm pleased that it's serious SF, set in the UK. It has an awesome cast; Clive Owen is brilliant, as is Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and Chiwetel Ejiofor. And the direction by Alfonso Cuarón is top class.
However, the film is very bleak and very violent. Dystopia? Yes, indeed. It's also very scary, it doesn't seem such a large leap from today to get to that world. In the end it offered no hope, and surely the best SF always offers hope, no matter how bad the dystopia?
Do I recommend seeing it? Yes, as long as you know that it's not going to be fun.
I left the cinema depressed, but thinking.