"Children” of the future

Machine gun fire shatters the air. The wall of a nearby building explodes outwards, showering those running for cover in debris. A woman screams — and is abruptly silenced by the "pop" of a pistol. Men and women round the corner, running for some kind of shelter, only to be met with soldiers in tanks, who open fire on all they see.

Something that could only be blood splatters on the camera lens which records the humanity in a way that is somehow both removed and compassionate.

Iraq? No — this is England, part of the "civilized" west, 20 years from now.

Perhaps some eyebrows were raised when, during the trailer for "Children of Men," the words "From Alfonso Cuaron, the director of 'Y Tu Mama Tambien'…and 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'" crossed the screen. Perhaps some snorts of derision echoed through the theater as Clive Owen's gravelly voice said "Since women stopped being able to have babies, what's left to hope for?"

But those raised eyebrows will descend, and the snorts of laughter will fade as "Children of Men" unfolds. It is an film that bombards the senses with a single, incredibly powerful message — that in killing one another, we are killing the earth itself, and the future that we are creating is no place for children.

Twenty years into the future, women have become completely infertile. This loss has catapulted the world into even more of a mess than it is today — rioting, mobs, bombings have taken hold, even in countries that in present times, profess themselves to be the capitol of freedom and tranquility — namely, the United States. Only one country stands relatively free of this insanity: England. Because of this, England has become mobbed with immigrants, who enter the country against the law and who the government ceaselessly and cruelly rounds up and deports. This is the picture that director Cuaron paints for the audience — not a futuristic one by any means. There are no flying cars, no rockets and no aliens. It is depressingly like the world in which we live today, and that makes this prospect all the more frightening.

A member of this dystopian world is Theo Faron (Owen), a cynical former-activist whose past has battered his soul to a pulp. His only reason for living is visiting his friend Jasper Palmer (a wonderful Michael Caine), whose relaxed, hippie outlook on life is an intense contrast to the grim surrounding world. In one scene, he jokes to Theo that the government is selling suicide kits to its citizens—but "ganja is still illegal!" This dark humor is present through the entire movie, though Jasper is its center.

Theo is contacted by his ex-lover, Julien Taylor (Julianne Moore), who is the leader of a revolutionary group. She needs Theo's help to transport a girl, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), to the coast. Why? Kee is pregnant, and if Theo can transport her safely to an undisclosed location, they will be picked up by the mysterious Human Project who will be able to use Kee to find a cure for the world's infertility.

What follows is the sobering tale of Theo's journey throughout a transformed England with Kee. Along the way, he remembers why he used to fight for what was right, and above all, he discovers hope in the future, something that he has been without for too long. One of the most memorable images in the film occurs in a government-run immigrant camp, where a line of innocent people kneel, heads covered in black bags and hands held behind their heads as guards patrol, their dogs snarling and barking. The image strikes a familiar chord, resonating of Abu Grahib and even of the Nazi concentration camps of World War II, which gives greater depth to the viewer's sense of helpless outrage and fear.

In a movie full of big-name stars, one actor stands out—the newcomer Ashitey, who out-shines Owen, Moore and Caine in her powerful portrayal of Kee. In Ashitey's hands, Kee is more than a passive symbol — she is a beautiful, feisty woman with opinions and a wry sense of humor, intent upon being in charge of both her and her baby's destinies.

Another remarkable actor is Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays a revolutionary subordinate to Julien. Ejiofor has proven himself an extraordinary performer in movies such as "Dirty Pretty Things" and "Kinky Boots," and here he does it yet again. Ejiofor's Luke is a twisted man who has a confused idea as to what freedom and peace for England are. In one scene, he is shown extolling the beauties of infants one second, and in the next, he shoots a machine gun out the window with an insane grin on his face.

Pain and suffering of innocents are definitely a theme in "Children of Men" — but so is hope for the future. Even in world where people are locked away in cages by the government, shoved into camps and tormented, the promise of tomorrow has the ability to bring smiles to the faces and hope to the hearts of even the most hardened soldier.

"Children of Men" (109 minutes) is rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use, and brief nudity.